Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Ribnovo chooses the most beautiful "gelina" bride

Photo: blagoevgrad.egov.bg

On the eve of the New Year, the most beautiful "gelina" bride of the last 4 years is chosen in the Bulgarian-Mohammedan village of Ribnovo, in south-west Bulgaria. 

"Gelina" is the name given to brides in the region. It is a unique tradition, where the brides are specially dressed and their faces are painted and decorated for the wedding. 
The "Mrs Gelina 2024" contest is being held for the first time and the winners will be announced tonight, reports BNT. 

"Our parents always told us, 'When you grow up, you will be a Gelina', and that was always our dream. We don't dream of wedding dresses, we dream of being gelinas," said Kadrie Kiselova of the Creative Community Foundation, the organiser of the competition. 

It is the wish of the people of Ribnovo that this wedding custom, which is already part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will become world famous, that more people will know about it.



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

Dragoş Pislaru

Balkan developments

Romania renegotiates its National Recovery and Resilience Plan with the EU The European Commission has approved a new version of Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, announced Minister for European Funds Dragos Păslaru, quoted by..

published on 10/24/25 2:38 PM
Chrissy Brand

Chrissy Brand from Great Britain: I’ve been listening to Radio Bulgaria for decades

For Chrissy Brand, a freelance journalist and long-time radio enthusiast from the UK, the trip to Bulgaria didn't start with a call to a travel agency or a low-cost airline ticket. It began decades ago in a quiet room filled with the humming of an old..

published on 10/24/25 1:49 PM

New Bulgarian school opens doors in Spain – in the town of Fraga

Today, 24 October, a new Bulgarian school in Spain – in the town of Fraga in the autonomous community of Aragon -  is opening doors for the start of the school year. The new school is a branch of the Seven Apostles – the only Bulgarian school in the..

published on 10/24/25 10:15 AM