December 4 is the church holiday of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, celebrated by both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Barbara was a girl from a noble family, beheaded for her Christian faith at the beginning of the 4th century. There is a belief that from Varvara to Ignatius the day "rises" like a needle's tip. It also "rises" from Ignacius to Vasil (from December 20 to January 1). On Varvara, day and night meet and become equal. The holiday is also called Varvaritsa, Varvarinden or Women's Christmas.
In traditional representations, Varvara is the patroness of children's diseases, and above all, smallpox, called by our people by taboo names: grandmother, aunt, sweet and honeyed. An evil, toothless and ugly grandmother - the image of the disease "paints" Varvara's portrait as well. In order to propitiate Baba Sharka (grandma Smallpox) and divert her from the children, the women prepared a ritual stew in which they put various wheat and bean seeds. They call it "varvara". Sweetened with honey, this stew is given to children, and also to neighbors and relatives. There is a belief that throughout the day the children should jump so that Varvara does not find them.
The heart and rhythm of the Bulgarian spirit – with these words we can metaphorically define the National Festival of Bulgarian Folklore. Traditionally, since the distant 1965, the event has been organized once every five years on the first weekend of..
The number of Bulgarian folk dance ensembles abroad is growing and, alongside Bulgarian schools, they are among the key centres that unite compatriots overseas and preserve their connection to their roots. Recently, some of these dance troupes returned..
A Bulgarian amateur folk choir based in Italy has returned to Bulgaria for its debut performance before a home audience. Most members of the choir, named Beli Rozi (White Roses) , have lived in the southern Italian city of Pescara for over a decade...
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