Folklore
Immerse yourself in the magic of Bulgarian folklore! Here was the Guinness record for the largest number of pipers.
Bulgaria is known for its folklore and especially for its music, songs and dances. Remarkable are the rhythms of the Bulgarian people, the curves of the Bulgarian folk songs and the colors of the Bulgarian costumes. Confirmation of the exceptional power of Bulgarian folklore is the fact that the folk song "Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin" was sent to space by NASA as a message from Earth to distant space.
Bulgaria also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest number of bagpipers who have played in one place. 333 bagpipers from all over the country of all ages gathered in Sofia in 2012 to showcase their mastery and perpetuate Bulgarian music on the pages of the famous book. And why exactly the bagpipes? Besides the bagpipe being a symbol of the Rhodope Mountains, it is also the instrument most often identified with folk music and more generally with Bulgarian. Every Bulgarian shudders at the sound of the bagpipes, and his eyes are filled with tears. This deeply encoded relationship is the result of a centuries-old tradition that continues to be passed on from generation to generation.
Bulgaria is divided into 7 folklore regions - Northern, Dobrudzha, Shopska, Pirin, Thracian, Rhodope and Strandzha. Each of them features specific songs, dances and music.
For the extreme importance of folklore in Bulgarian life are the confirmation and the many festivals in which more and more people participate every year. One of the symbols is the Koprivshtitsa Folk Art Festival, which has been running since 1965. Once every 5 years, the area becomes the center of a great folklore celebration. Songs, dances and music are performed on many stages at the same time.
Only the best performers from each region participate in the event. An interesting part of the celebrations is the overview of authentic Bulgarian costumes and the exhibition of old Bulgarian crafts. In the evening in the center of the town foreign folk bands perform traditional Bulgarian folklore. The Folklore Festival in Koprivshtitsa is among the most impressive, exciting and important events in the Bulgarian cultural life. It brings together the best of Bulgarian folklore in one place and contributes to its preservation and promotion worldwide.
And if you want to become the main actors and relive your story with the Bulgarian folklore, the Festival of folklore costume in Zheravna is right for you. The main goal of the organizers is to try to convey the fullest authenticity of the situation and to bring it as close as possible to the Bulgarian life from 100-150 years ago, so the main requirement to stop in the festival territory is to be dressed in folk costume. It is forbidden to bring and use a number of objects of modern life, and the use of mobile phones is allowed only in a designated place for calls.
The largest and most popular bagpipe festival in Bulgaria is held in the heart of the Rhodopes every summer. A stage is being built on the hills above the village of Gela and musicians from all over the country are playing in front of nearly 25,000 people. The festival lasts one weekend and turns into a huge outdoor party at night.
Apart from its songs and music, Bulgaria is also known for its dances. The Bulgarian dance is called choir and it brings great energy and great emotion to everyone who is a part of it. People play caught up with each other in a circle, with a musician, most often a bagpiper, or an orchestra standing in its center. Researchers claim that the horological duplicates the cosmic, i.e. is the energy model of our solar system, which is why its energy is so strong. And one of the most distinctive features of folk dance music is the complexity of its rhythms compared to Western music. Although it uses the known clock sizes as 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, Bulgarian music also includes sizes of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 bars, called non-equal sizes. It is they that give the specific and varied sound of Bulgarian music, and the dances are so different, combining fast and slow beats.
Among the most interesting customs in Bulgaria is firefighting. Bulgaria is one of the few countries in the world that have a tradition of walking on hot embers. This happens once a year on the day of St. St. Constantine and Helena (May 21-23 or June 3-5) in several villages in Strandzha. According to tradition, after the sunset on the central square of the village, a huge pile of embers spread. Special dancers, called firefighters, walk barefoot on the smoldering coals, accompanied by a special folk tune and dance a folk dance. In their hands they hold the decorated icon of the saints.
Another tradition that people from all over the world come to see is mummery. The mummers are pagan ritual Bulgarian carnival figures - men dressed as monsters, always with masks on their heads and wearing vats on their belts and fur coats outside. Mummers dance in the streets to scare away evil spirits and drive away the cold, and for fertility and health they perform ritual (symbolic) actions such as plowing, sowing and others. The ritual is performed throughout the country from January 1 to mid-March (dates vary by location). The International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva" in Pernik is the largest in Bulgaria and one of the largest manifestations of traditional folk games and customs with masks in Europe and the world.
January 6 is usually a cold, frosty day, but that doesn't stop dozens of Bulgarians from jumping into the icy water every year. The reason is the Orthodox Christian celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. As the tradition continues, the local priest throws a crucifix into the river and the men race to get it out. The first to discover it will be lucky and healthy all year round according to tradition.
February 14 may be a day of love around the world, but in Bulgaria it is known as Trifon Zarezan or the day of winemakers. According to tradition, St. Tryphon protects all those involved in wine production, so on this day the Bulgarians pay homage to him by taking care of their vineyards and drinking a lot of wine.
Baba Marta on March 1 is the day when spring begins to prevail and winter begins to lose its strength. Bulgarians celebrate this day by tying intertwined red and white threads called martenitsas around their wrists. According to tradition, the martenitsa should remain on the hand until one sees a stork or a flowering tree.
Midsummer's Day is celebrated on June 24 and is dedicated to St. John. The night before June 24, according to local legends, is the time when magicians and fortune tellers go out to collect herbs for their magic. It is believed that all medicinal herbs have 10 times more healing power than usual, and young women need to collect 77 types of herbs before sunrise to keep their families and homes healthy and rich throughout the year.
Music, dance and song are an extremely important part of every Bulgarian's life. Today, in this global world that offers so many opportunities, more and more Bulgarians are searching for their identity in them. Folk dance clubs are being set up all over Bulgaria, more and more festivals are being organized, even horotiques are being created - a place where only Bulgarian people can dance all night. Folklore, which by its nature is not a relic phenomenon, continues to be re-read by the contemporary Bulgarian and to be interpreted in the light of his modern day life.