A Bulgarian Christmas - My Kind of Party

In Bulgaria, Christmas (or Koleda) is celebrated from 20 December to 27 December (heck yes) and should include no less than seven meat free meals (double heck yes), representing the household's wishes for luck, health and happiness for the coming year. It is law that all Bulgarian banquets must be accompanied by rakia (brandy) or traditional wine (I may have exaggerated about this being written into legislation - but if it's not, it should be).

Further tradition calls for a coin to be baked into a round loaf, allowing each member of the family to break a piece of the loaf until the coin is found. The coin is then placed under the pillow of the lucky recipient who will be granted one wish. Not sold on a Bulgarian Christmas yet? Stay with me... Following the main meal, the table is not cleared until the next day. So with a belly full of cabbage and brandy, with your feet toasting near the burning yule - you can enjoy the traditional carollers who commence their rounds at midnight on Christmas Eve.

If you happen to be a child (fairly sure I could pass) it gets even better - you can take part in a custom known as Sooroovachka - also known as "patting" your more senior relatives with a stick which has been decorated with popcorn and dried peppers. The child is then paid for their efforts. Upon reflection, I'm not sure how I ever enjoyed Christmas outside of Bulgaria?!

Send the family my love - I'm off to get drunk and beat elders for cash in Plvodiv.

Aleksandra felt safe in knowing that Bogdana's sturdy
hands were steering their mighty steed to

the feast that awaited them

   

Please note - this content may not be entirely factual and no responsibility will be taken for misinterpretations of the above information or for the beaten elders.