Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Ribnovo chooses the most beautiful "gelina" bride

Photo: blagoevgrad.egov.bg

On the eve of the New Year, the most beautiful "gelina" bride of the last 4 years is chosen in the Bulgarian-Mohammedan village of Ribnovo, in south-west Bulgaria. 

"Gelina" is the name given to brides in the region. It is a unique tradition, where the brides are specially dressed and their faces are painted and decorated for the wedding. 
The "Mrs Gelina 2024" contest is being held for the first time and the winners will be announced tonight, reports BNT. 

"Our parents always told us, 'When you grow up, you will be a Gelina', and that was always our dream. We don't dream of wedding dresses, we dream of being gelinas," said Kadrie Kiselova of the Creative Community Foundation, the organiser of the competition. 

It is the wish of the people of Ribnovo that this wedding custom, which is already part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will become world famous, that more people will know about it.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The first week of April in Bulgaria is dedicated to forests

For 100 years, foresters in Bulgaria have been organizing Forest Week. A concert entitled “A century of eternity” on 7 April will give the official start to the initiative dedicated to the planet’s lungs. And though it has been a century since..

published on 4/6/25 5:05 PM

Tulip Parade at the University Botanical Garden in Balchik

The eagerly-awaited Tulip Parade at the University Botanical Garden in Balchik is at its peak. This year’s parade includes more than 45,000 bulbs, and 27 varieties that are new to the Garden, among them Tulipa "Carnaval de Nice, which combines..

published on 4/5/25 4:02 PM

The number of foreign students in Bulgaria has doubled over the past decade

In 2024, Bulgaria has 15,737 foreign students, making up 8.6% of all current students in the country. By comparison, this share has doubled over the past decade. This data comes from NACID , updated annually in the Bulgarian University Ranking..

published on 4/5/25 11:15 AM