Podcast in English

Thousands celebrate authentic folklore in the Balkan resort village of Ribaritsa

Folk costumes and customs from across the country will be presented at the Kostina Historical Site in Ribaritsa village.  The event will take place on 19 and 20 July as part of the Holiday of Folk Customs and Authentic Costumes . According to the..

published on 7/19/25 7:45 AM
Viktoria Basham, PhD researcher from the University of Salisbury

Vampires in Bulgarian folklore - protective rituals and precautions

Everyone in Bulgaria has heard scary stories about dangerous vampires since childhood. Today, these dark spirits are familiar to us mainly from the way they are recreated by the authors of novels and especially popular titles in the cinema. However, we..

published on 6/29/25 10:15 AM

Folklore Ensemble "Otets Paissii" from Pittsburgh receives the honorary badge of the President

A festive concert of the Otets Paissii Performing Folk Ensemble will be held in Nessebar today, as the ensemble celebrates 70 years since its establishment. The formation is the oldest Bulgarian folklore ensemble in the USA at the..

published on 6/21/25 10:15 AM

Ritual food in Bulgarian traditional culture

Ritual food is an integral part of the Bulgarian ritual system. In the calendar of a Bulgarian village more than a century ago, food with meat was rarely consumed. People usually ate meat 4-5 times a year - on Christmas, St. George’s..

published on 6/15/25 11:20 AM

Czech artist Ludvík Kuba dedicates a book to Bulgarian folk songs

At the end of the 19th century, the Czech artist and folklorist Ludvík Kuba travelled to Bulgaria with one goal in mind: to explore the country's rich song heritage.  The melodies he collected were published in a separate volume of his Slavic Song..

published on 4/28/25 12:04 PM

Why is it important for each lazarka girl to participate in the ritual kumichene on Palm Sunday?

In the Bulgarian folk tradition, the feasts of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are related holidays. From Lazarus Saturday  (Lazarovden in Bulgaria), girls prepare for the ritual kumichene, which is performed on the morning of Palm Sunday. A very old..

published on 4/13/25 11:56 AM

The Strelcha Museum presents the exhibition "A Fine Easter, a Finer St. George’s Day". 

In April and May the visitors of the Strelcha Historical Museum will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditions connected with the Easter holiday cycle through the exhibition A Fine Easter, a Finer St. George’s Day .  Easter..

published on 4/13/25 7:50 AM

"Lazaruvane" - a rite symbolising a girl's "coming of age".

Lazarus Saturday is widely known in Bulgaria as Lazarovden , celebrated by Orthodox Bulgarians on the day before Palm Sunday. The main rite is the lazaruvane - a traditional custom centred on themes of love and marriage. Girls over the age of 16,..

published on 4/12/25 7:30 AM
In the afternoon, the girls will also visit the Etara Architectural and Ethnographic Complex near the nearby town of Gabrovo.

St Lazarus Day celebrated with traditional lazaruvane in Tryavna

The historic town of Tryavna will celebrate St Lazarus' Day, traditionally held on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The Bulgarian custom, known as lazaruvane , is closely linked to the themes of love and marriage and will be re-enacted this..

published on 4/11/25 4:50 PM

The cuckoo calls for the first time, animals awaken from their winter sleep on Blagovets

The feast of the Annunciation (Blagoveshtenie in Bulgaria) is a holy day , a symbol of God’s infinite mercy to people and especially to women, blessed to bear new life, but also an embodiment of the eternal human longing for something better in the..

published on 3/25/25 11:05 AM