Easter Holidays in Bulgaria with Adventure Net
Easter Holidays in Bulgaria – with outdoor adventures and traditions
For most of the people celebrating Easter – this is a very special family holiday, most often related to nice traditions. For Bulgarians the Easter Holidays are maybe the most important and loved ones! This is why we love to mix these days and pepper them with some nice adventures and traditions.
As the season is great for rafting we well definitely include it to the programs for our Easter holidays. No matter if we are at the rafting camp near the Struma River or discovering the secrets of Arda River, we are definitely prepared with everything needed in order to celebrate according to the Bulgarian traditions.
A little bit more about the Easter holidays and traditions in Bulgaria
And the celebrations are starting the Saturday prior the holy week, as we have the so called Lazaritsa. On that they young girls usually from 10 to 16 years dressed in traditional costumes, with wreaths and flowers in their hairs, are going from house to house. Lazarkite, as the girls are called, are singing songs and dancing traditional dances – the belief is that a house visited from them will had a prosperity during the whole year. The girls are given white eggs, flour, and maybe other presents from the hosts. On Sunday is Tsvetnitsa – the day of the flowers, everybody wearing such name has a name day.
Then as of Monday we start the holy week. Each family is preparing for the Easter holidays – as each house should have its own colored eggs (they are well boiled prior coloring :)), homemade kozunak – traditional sweet bread, and lamb (not needed if you are vegetarian :)).
Coloring the Easter eggs
Coloring the eggs for Easter is a great family fun when all the kids could be involved. According to the tradition in the past the oldest woman in the family was responsible to make it, nowadays we are happy to make it together. It’s very important to have the first egg colored in red, and before it gets dry – we do small cross signs on the forehead and cheeks of the kids, then to the rest of the family members. This egg should be kept till next Easter, if possible close to St. Mary’s icon. On the next Easter you need to check the color of the egg inside. If it’s white the family will have great year ahead, if it’s dark – need to be more cautious. Coloring the eggs should be done on Thursday or Saturday.
And the biggest fun during the Sunday from the Easter Holiday is the egg fight – everybody selects from the painted eggs, sometimes after long and deep inspection. The fight means you need to hold your egg and another person to knock it with his one, and vice versa – with the other bottom/top of the eggs. If your egg is broken – you need to eat it 🙂
Going to Church
On Saturday evening, around 11 o’clock, the families get prepared to visit the church. At 12 o’clock starts the Easter Mess which announce the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everybody walks around the church three times with a candle – you need to keep your candle lit during the whole time.
And watch out the long hairs of the girls as you may lit their hairs with the candle fire.
What are the main Expressions in Bulgarian during the Easter Holidays?
Христос Воскресе [hristos vozkrese] meaning Christ Is Risen, and this is how we greet each other starting Sunday night. The answer is Во Истина Воскресе [vo istina vozkrese] and the translation is Indeed He Is Risen. Easter in Bulgarian is Великден [velikden] and the direct meaning is Great Day.
And finally – if you are planning to be in Bulgaria during the Easter Holidays…
Join us for Easter Holiday adventure, you could check our programs. It will be a pleasure to share and enjoy these beautiful spring days Bulgarian traditions together.
Easter program with rafting on Struma River
Easter program with rafting on Arda River
Adventurous Easter in Bulgaria
Happy Spring Holidays!