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Palm Sunday or Cvetnica

 (Flower Day) and the faithful are

given a dispensation and allowed

to eat fish.

Since palms aren't readily

available, pussy willows are taken

to church to be blessed.

The branches are

often fashioned

into crowns by

young girls and

worn to church

until they

are thrown in a

river, hopefully

to be caught by

their future husband

on the other side.

T

he last Thursday before Easter is the

day when eggs are painted and

Easter breads are baked.

I

n our lands, religious feasts

have never fully replaced the

colourful

pagan rituals for welcoming

spring.

Some of them have come down

to us in all of their authenticity, but most have been

”Christianized” without altering

their meaning.

The biggest feast in Christian

Orthodoxy,

Easter invariably brings

with it the tradition

of painting eggs.

The first egg is always painted red to

symbolize the blood of Christ. With the first red

egg women touch children’s forehead and

make a cross for luck.This egg should be put

aside-either to be buried in the fields to ensure

fertility or kept in the home to bring good

luck. Bulgarians believe the egg must be “full”

so it may bring a full home, full barns, many

offspring in the family.

AS IN SO MANY OTHER THINGS, HERE TOO, THE IMAGINATION OF BULGARIAN WOMEN DOES WONDERS

The Easter bread(“kozunak”) in different parts of Bulgaria can be in

different shapes.

They can be big or small and they are also decorated in different

ways.Easter breads may be specially decorated with one or more

of coloured eggs.

( so called kuklichki)

ON THE HOLY FRIDAY NOBODY WORKS. PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH WHERE THEY PASS

UNDER THE SHROUD FOR FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS.

THIS IS THE DAY OF STRONG LENT. SOME PEOPLE DON’T EAT AND DRINK ALL DAY.

Easter is characterized with certain food and rituals.

These are sweet

bread and dyed eggs. Kozunak, the prominent traditional

symbol -

braided sweet bread, symbolizing the body of Christ, is a

necessary

item of the Easter table everywhere. As the Bulgarian days

implies”Velikden”(Great Day),Easter is one of the most

significant

holidays in the Bulgarian calendar started with St.Lazar’s

day, the

holy weeks and leeds up to the Great Day.

Holy Saturday services begin at 11p.m. Families and friends attend church together, carrying their

coloured eggs and Easter bread with them. When the clock strikes midnight, the church bell

begins to ring, the priest proclaims three times

”Hristos Voskrese”(Christ Has Risen) and replies ”Voistina

Voskrese”(Indeed He Has Risen). The priest and faithful then walk around the

church three times with lit candle in hand.

The belief is if ne has been a good Christian, his candle will not go out no matter

how strong the wind is, because he has no sins. After a special sequence of

services, the clergy blesses the breads and eggs brought by people and they return with them

to

their homes.

The Bulgarian good luck crack is a unique Easter tradition in Bulgaria.

The ritual tapping the eggs takes place just before the Easter lunch begins.

Each person will select his or her egg. The people in turn exchange the

Easter greeting ”Christ has risen”/”Indeed He has risen” three time before

tapping their eggs against the eggs of others. The person who ends up with

the last unbroken egg is believed to have a year of good luck. The winning

egg is kept until next Easter and is a sign of good luck.

On Easter Sunday the married couples traditionally visit the best man at

their wedding and have roast lamb at lunch.

HAPPY EASTER