Bulgarian Easter Traditions

Kuzman Shapkareff Describes our Easter Traditions

Excerpts from Shapkareff's writing about the traditions, beliefs and the folk tales of Macedonia and other Bulgarian regions, published in 1885 in Plovdiv
Great and Holy Thursday (Veli chetvortok). This is the day when the Easter red eggs are colored (vapsuvat). People take one of their red eggs to church for the service of the 12 Passion Gospels. After the service they bury the egg in the vineyard so that God keeps them from hailstorms (gradushka) and to give them a good harvest (beriket). People believe that a Holy Thursday egg would last that way all year.

Great and Holy Friday (Veli petok). On Great and Holy Friday each family always buys a new pottery dish. The Easter markets are generally very busy on Good Friday.

On March 25, Annunciation (sv. Blagoveshtenie), pumpkins are planted in Ohrid. They believe that pumpkins planted on that day will be very sweet. In Samokov on that day young ladies (malkite momi) bake for the first time sweet donuts (karvaycheta) with honey and sugar, as they do in Ohrid on Holy Thursday, and they call it (in Samokov) "sweet bread" ("sladko /blago/ pogache").

Easter (Velikden). One or two days before Easter each Christian family would send presents to their Turkish friends: a loaf of bread and 10-15 red eggs. The Turks feel honored by the gifts. If they don't receive it, they feel offended. The person who delivers, usually receives a little money in thanks. During all of these days each Christian family also makes special bread (kolacheta) which is specially decorated for the children.

Until recently there was a tradition that a hostess gives a red egg to every guest during Easter. Today the tradition remains only for the children who are very happy to get an egg as a present. During the Easter week children, and, in old times adults too, play (se tolchkat or se k`rshat) with the eggs, trying to break each other. Whoever breaks (sk`rshi) the egg of the opponent, gets it as a prize.

Additional information and comments by Mr. Boris Dunkov

The bright red colored egg is the symbol of Easter (or Pascha) for the Orthodox Christians all over the world. Nowadays other colors are used as well (not for political reasons only). The eggs are colored on Holy Thursday after the Divine Liturgy. The Easter breads are a worldwide Orthodox tradition as well. They are big and small and decorated. "Kolacheta" is the right term to use. Other Bulgarian word is "kozunak". No English translation for these. One of these breads is specially decorated and one or more (but odd number) red egg is incrustated in it. This bread is taken to church on Saturdy evening when a special sequence of services takes place: Midnight Office, Rush Procession, Matins & Divine Liturgy. These are actually the services of Great and Holy Pascha (Velikden). After the service the clergy blesses the breads and eggs brought by the people and they take them home. Such breads and eggs are presented not only to the Turkish friends as it is in the story, but especially to the Spiritual parents (God parents, krustnitcite) and to the biological parents and also to other relatives, friends, etc.

The eggs are cracked after the midnight service and during the next days. One egg is cracked on the wall of the church (and this is the first egg eaten after the long Great Fast). The ritual of cracking the eggs takes place before the Easter lunch. People take turns tapping the eggs together and the person who ends up with the last unbroken egg is believed to have a year of good luck.

The traditional Orthodox Paschal greeting is: "Christ is Risen!" The answer is: "Indeed He is Risen". This is the greeting during 40 days after Pascha. Also, These greetings are exchanged during the tapping of the eggs, mentioned above: They are repeated 3 times and the actual tapping is after that.

As you can see the Bulgarian Easter traditions are a variant of Orthodox Easter traditions. I am sure there are some unique Bulgarian touches but I am not in a position to identify them without more serious study.

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