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

Divers kick off the diving season near the town of Kiten

Divers from Burgas' Friends of the Sea association opened the diving season . With the water temperature at seven degrees , they made their traditional spring dive along the coast of Kiten, where underwater remains include ancient artefacts and even a..

published on 3/29/25 9:05 AM

Bulgaria switches to summer time - how will it affect us?

On the night of Saturday to Sunday (30 March), at 3am, we need to move the clock forward one hour - to 4am. This will give us an hour less sleep on that particular night, but in the long run we will be able to make better use of daylight, which should..

published on 3/29/25 7:40 AM

Traditional seasonal grazing in the Bulgarian mountains - part of UNESCO's heritage

Bulgaria has joined a multinational nomination for accession to the element "Pasture traditions", inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.   The event was marked on March 28 with the official signing of the nomination by the..

published on 3/28/25 4:55 PM