All Bulgaria Virtual Guide - Introduction to Bulgarian Traditions

This small and picturesque land of Bulgaria has been known for more than 13 centuries in Europe, linking East and West.

Bulgaria remembers the ancient civilizations and great people that wrote its turbulent history. Much has perished over these centuries, but even more has remained. The living folklore, the unfading beauty of arts and crafts, the gaiety and vivacity of festivals and customs, the piquant taste of the cuisine and the delicate fragrance of its wines.

Bulgaria is a place where history is counted in Epochs. The first was dominated by the Thracians. These ancient Indo-European tribal people settled in that area of Eastern Europe known today as the Balkans, extended to the Danube. With no written language of their own, we are left to learn about them today from their rich archaeological remains, and from the Greek writers who were their contemporaries.

What modern man has learned from these remnants of Thracian myth and culture is dramatic. We believe they were expert horse breeders and fierce warriors; that they produced fine wines, and were artful metalworkers, creating exquisite adornments, ritual objects and vessels in gold and silver. With no written language of their own, we are left to learn about them today from their rich archaeological remains, and from the Greek writers who were their contemporaries.

The Thracians left a remarkable cultural heritage. Their tradition was founded on the Orphistic belief that man was immortal.

Officially converted to Christianity in the ninth century, many of Bulgaria's ancestral pagan beliefs and customs continue through to the present day and are profoundly embedded in Bulgarian folklore.

As the nature awakened to new life, the ancient inhabitants of our lands were filled with hope for a bountiful harvest and happiness throughout the coming year. They also feared the waywardness of weather and the vicissitudes of fortune.

According to the mythological beliefs, the resurrection of nature was accompanied by the re-awakening of various evil and hostile creatures; dragons, elves and goblins, snakes and lizards, all coming out of their lairs in the spring.