Christmas around the world: Bulgaria

DOBRE doshli to Bulgaria! It’s late December and Father Christmas is nearly here! Oh wait, scratch that, Grandfather Christmas is nearly here!

Yes, in Bulgaria the man with the beard and all the presents is named Dyado Koleda, which actually translates to Grandfather Christmas. Well, that explains all the white hair and glasses of milk! 

The festive traditions in this country are an interesting combination of both traditional Pagan rituals mixed with the religious customs of the Orthodox Christian church. In Bulgaria, Christmas Eve, December 24, actually holds more significance than Christmas Day itself.

Families unite on the eve of Christmas, to eat a meal that surprisingly is almost always completely vegetarian! Even more intriguing, the feast must consist of an uneven number of dishes, 7, 9 or 11 to be precise! Another custom of December 24 is to predict how good or bad the next year will treat you by cracking a walnut open and seeing how it breaks. Nutty? 

Although Christmas Eve insists the Bulgarians stick to veggies, Christmas Day, is a time for feasting on an enormous dinner that includes a large main meat dish, usually pork. Much like other countries, such as England, exchanging gifts on the morning of December 25 is very common, as the children excitedly rush to the tree to see what Grandfather Christmas has left them! 

However, an interesting fact is that just 100 years ago there were no Christmas presents on this date, there was actually no such thing as Father Christmas in Bulgaria at all! Instead of this, traditionally December 25 served as a day where pigs were slaughtered. Not quite the same Christmas cheer but we see where the pork custom comes from! 

With temperatures averaging at around 5 degrees, it would be advisable to bring a coat if you fancy coming to Bulgaria to celebrate the festive period, oh, and perhaps a walnut or two!