In Christian Europe, Christmas has become the most important family celebration of the year. Each country in Europe has developed its own customs and Bulgaria is no exception. The Orthodox and religious country has a special relationship with Christmas and over the centuries numerous exciting customs have developed, which we would like to introduce to you in our blog post. Bulgaria is an Orthodox state , with its own religious branch. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church belongs to the Christian denomination, which is why Christmas is celebrated in a big way in Bulgaria.
In general, however, Bulgaria is not a very religious country, which is related to its communist history. Nevertheless, 4. This may surprise you, because the Orthodox Christmas is traditionally celebrated on January 7. Bulgaria , on the other hand, has the Gregorian calendar and thus has adapted its church festivals to the Western calendar. Christmas is not celebrated on January 7, but on December 25 and 26, as in Western Europe.
These two days are therefore also public holidays in Bulgaria. On December 24, however, work is done, but Christmas Eve is also celebrated in the family. This, however, is not celebrated as Christmas , but as part of Lent, but more on that later. In Bulgaria , a period of fasting takes place before Christmas , similar to that which occurs in Germany before Easter. The period of fasting starts on November 15 and lasts up to and including December During these days, devout Orthodox Christians abstain from meat.
It is to come exclusively vegetarian courts on the table, which were prepared before with vegetable fat. A major exception to this rule is December 6, when St. Nicholas Day is celebrated. Saint Nicholas plays an important role in the Orthodox Church, which is why his day is used by Bulgarians to break their fast. Traditionally, fish is eaten on December 06, as Saint Nicholas is considered the protector of fishermen. Like everywhere in Europe, Christmas in Bulgaria is a celebration for the family with a religious background.
The days are used by Bulgarians to get together with the family and to celebrate and eat together. Actually, Bulgarians did not know the custom of gift-giving, but in the course of globalization it has also entered Southeastern Europe.
