Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 All Rights Reserved

Bessarabian Bulgarians celebrate the New Year according to old calendar

Photo: Library

The Bessarabian Bulgarians in Taraclia celebrate the New Year on January 14 according to the old Julian calendar. They observe an unusual ritual for Moldova - that of mummer's dances. According to beliefs, mummers are mythical creatures who drive away evil spirits on January 13 with performances of their ritual going from house to house. The ancient rite came to Moldova from Bulgaria. 

On the eve of the New Year in the old style and on January 14th until noon children will go in groups of "survakari" from house to house to perform the "survakane" ritual for health and prosperity, BTA reported.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Government resumes talks with unions and employers after freezing the 2026 budget

'The dialogue between employers and trade unions has been restored. Consultations will begin tomorrow at the Ministry of Finance to iron out all the details. The state is committed to supporting every Bulgarian citizen.' This was written by GERB leader..

published on 11/27/25 2:55 PM

NSI: Bulgarians' international travel increased 15% last year

Bulgarian citizens traveled abroad 829,300 times in October, which is 15% more than in October 2024 , according to the National Statistical Institute. The most popular destinations were Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Germany, North Macedonia,..

published on 11/27/25 2:39 PM

State-owned enterprises to combat corruption through an integrity officer

The National Assembly has introduced a new requirement for state-owned enterprises to implement corruption risk management systems, which will also include appointing an integrity officer. The measure is recommended by the Organisation for Economic..

published on 11/27/25 1:30 PM