The people living in the Shoppe region have a reputation for being fun-loving and cheerful. They have a philosophy all their own, their own way of doing things, their own culture as well as an inimitable sense of humour and a self-irony they have jealously guarded through the ages.

They inhabit the region around Sofia, known as Shopluka or the Shoppe folklore region. Here is how renowned Bulgarian writer Elin Pelin, himself a Shoppe and with a town named after him, describes them: “Shoppes are the most cheerful people in the world because it is in their nature – to make merry, to laugh at their own shortcomings, to be wise.” They are known for their wit, their perseverance, called also “Shoppe pig-headedness”, but also for their sense of the beautiful, admirably expressed in songs, dances and traditional costumes.

For 48 years the town of Elin Pelin has organized a one-week Shoppe Festival. It starts with the day of the Holy Spirit, with each of the subsequent days having its own thematic focus connected with Shoppes and their mindset and culture. The programme is diverse, catering to every taste.

One of the organizers of the festival through the years, Renny Nikolova says:

“48 years of organizing this festival has made it a Shoppe tradition, a part of our cultural calendar we cannot do without, it is woven into the fabric of our lives. This tradition has come to be a symbol of the town, obligating us to safeguard and continue it. The festival goes back to 1970 and the idea belongs to Blagoy Stratev and Stoyan Kirilov, then mayor. The festival is not just for Shoppes, it is our aim to make it attractive to all people from Bulgaria and from abroad. This year’s motto of the event, brimming with traditional songs, dancing and humour from these parts, is “Rise and tradition”. All of the festival days are packed with different events, the aim being to bring each and every guest in contact with different genres in art: local songs, dancing, painting, literature, applied arts. But there are also a host of events to be enjoyed by people interested in gastronomy, sports, Bulgarian traditional wear and pets. On Saturday we are organizing a beauty pageant of girls wearing traditional costumes who will be vying for the title of most beautiful Shoppe girl. We, Shoppes are open to the world. Elin Pelin is twinned with the town of Leskovac in Serbia. We are also welcoming guests from Romania. The program features the ensembles Pirin and Trakia, the formation “Drums and bagpipes”, Nikolay Slaveev, Anna Maria and “Bulgarian rhythms”. We are not forgetting the younger generation, for them we have invited Dara and Deep Zone Project. There will be local amateur folk ensembles from the community culture club in the town, the Shoppe ensemble – our pride and joy - the Stefan Stefanov brass band, cheerleaders, as well as music ensembles from Sofia and Kyustendil. I extend an invitation to all people interested to come and see our Shoppe festival in the town of Elin Pelin which is on until June 11.”

English version: Milena Daynova

Photos: courtesy of Elin Pelin Municipality