New Years
During communist times in Bulgaria they didn't have a Santa Clause.They do now and he is called "Grandfather Christmas". New years use tobe the bigger event where they would exchange gifts. They waited for"Grandfather Cold" to bring them presents on New Years. When midnight strikes they pull out the banitsa. It is a salty breadproduct with fetta cheese and egg for the filling. There are fortunes hidden throughout the banitsa. When you get your peice you search for your fortune.
I went up to the mountains and stayed in a cabin with about 17 other Bulgarians. It was a non-stop party the whole weekend. At anytime you could go down to the main room and there would be someone down there playing music, dancing, and drinking. I went to bed at about 5am NewYears day and by 8pm one of the Bulgarians came in to wake me up and tell me to get back down stairs because they were drinking Rakia. I just tried to get some sleep. It was an interesting New Years.
posted by Matthew Wahlgren @ 1/04/2006 11:32:00 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
do your homework before posting
Santa Clause is catolic
We never had Santa Claus due tha fact we are orthodox
Yes, we love to copy and thats how we endup with something similar to you Santa Claus :)
But christmas for us is something tottaly different - it is not about Santa claus but about Jeasus birth. All the rituals we have are related to that historical moment.
I don't know if Bulgaria never had a Santa Clause, but they do now. In the little town I live in, they even had an automated Santa Clause who sang Jingle Bells in English. He is represented on decorations, wrapping paper, and gift bags. He is very much alive in Bulgaria.
Santa Clause is not Catholic it is Spanish. In English it is St. Nicholas. In Bulgarian he is Sveti Nikoali and his name day is on December 6th. Sveti Nikolai is now associated with Dydo Koloda (Father Christmas). Before Dydo Kolada, durring communist times because of the very secular government, they had Dydo Mras (Father Cold).
I have no need to do any homework on Bulgaria. I live here. I talk to the people. I post what they tell me. If it is wrong, take it up with them.
Remember, this is my experience. As the top of my page states,
"If an Englishman or a Frenchman or an Italian should travel my route, see what I saw, hear what I heard, their stored pictures would be not only different from mine but equally different from one another."
- John Steinbeck
My blog journalizes exactly what this quote describes.
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