Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

A dragon wedding and sparkling wine tasting on Trifon Zarezan festival in the village of Delchevo

Photo: BGNES - archive

After a two-year break, the traditional Trifon Zarezan wine festival is organized again in the village of Delchevo. 
On Saturday 4 February, dozens of wine and brandy producers are welcome to the village at the foot of Pirin Mountain, to present their best selection. Wine makers from the Greek region of Drama are also coming back to the take part in the winemaker competition.The culmination of the feast is on 5 February /Sunday/, when everyone goes to the vineyard in the Bair ("the hill") area to take part in the ritual first pruning of the vines, after which the vines are ceremonially watered with wine
The big celebration takes place in the village square of Delchevo. Kukeri ethnographic groups from the nearby village of Mosomishte perform, but the most interesting part is the reenactment of the local dragon (zmey) weddingKukeri
An ancient legend says that the village of Delchevo was the lair of a zmey who took the most beautiful maiden of the village as his wife, in exchange for which he protected the village from evil forces and the elements.  To this day, Delchevo keeps the legend alive and twice a year recreates the story of the dragon and the beautiful bride.




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

The tragic plight of a flock of sheep has united Bulgarians in a common cause to save them

For more than a week now, the story of a family of breeders raising local breeds of sheep has captured the attention of not only the Bulgarian public, but also of compatriots abroad. Instead of following the drama in Parliament and the struggle for..

published on 12/6/24 5:03 PM
Mariana Dimova and her survachkas.

Mulled wine, survachkas and Ferris wheel - the spirit of Christmas in Sofia

Who said Bulgarians were grumpy pessimists? Take a stroll through Sofia's Christmas bazaars and meet the cheerful crowd. The festive decorations, music, merry-go-rounds and stalls overflowing with treats and handmade souvenirs can make the gloomiest..

published on 12/3/24 2:19 PM
The Bogdan Khmelnitsky State Pedagogical University in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol

Melitopol University hosts online conference uniting scholars of Bulgarian studies

Bulgarian studies are highly valued at the Bogdan Khmelnitsky State Pedagogical University in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol. So it comes as no surprise that the university is hosting the latest edition of the International Bulgarian Studies Readings,..

published on 12/2/24 5:35 PM