Celebrating Trifon Zarezan in Veliko Tarnovo
pleasantplacesbulgaria Veliko Tarnovo or VT as it is affectionately known over here is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It has a history going back 5000 years. It was once…
Customs and Traditions
Saint Nicholas Day
Coming from a protestant background, we aren’t very “big” on the Saints. Although I’ve heard about them, sung about them at school and learn more about them as I’ve got…
An English Christmas in Bulgaria
If there were three pieces of advice I could give to people moving to Bulgaria they would be “integration, integration, and integration“. This country has so much to offer: the…
Baba Marta – Rites of Spring
The advent of spring was traditionally seen as a transition between the death of winter and new life and rebirth. Countless fertility rituals exist across the world to mark this…
Epiphany Celebrations – Kalofer Bulgaria
In England, the sixth of January(Epiphany) marks the demise of the Christmas decorations we have so lovingly installed just a few weeks earlier. I have always found this a sad…
New Year’s Eve in Bulgaria
A Year in Provence’ begins with the New Year celebrations. We had already been here a few months by the time our first New Year cane around, but, like Mayle,…
Bulgarian Roses and Rose Oil
“And the Soul of the Rose went into my Blood” Since moving to Bulgaria I have become enamoured by the various rose oil products that are made here. I have…