Hello guys, today’s post will be a little bit different, but I really wanted to share with you one of our traditions and customs when it comes to how we celebrate Easter and how we prepare for it. There will also be some books at the end!
Easter in Bulgaria this year will be celebrated on the 20th of April, Sunday. Every year it differs since it is celebrated according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, which is usually later than the Catholic and Protestant calendar.
To commemorate this important holiday, we dye eggs, have a cracking game with them, all the family and distant members of the family gather together, we eat and drink and we just spend time together catching up on life, and simply enjoy each others company. There sometimes is a family drama but it would not be fun without one!
THE PREPS:
The week leading up to Easter, we women prepare the house. We make sure we clean it, do the laundry and get eggs and egg dye. Men also get lamb meat as it is a tradition to cook it for this holiday (I personally do not like it, so we do duck instead, my husband has no say in this!). Today, on Great Thursday and Good Friday, we are not allowed to do laundry or clean. Technically, you can, there is no moral police going around and checking you lol, but out of respect for Christ, we refrain from doing so. The egg dyeing happens either today or on Saturday. I chose to do it today since my grandad already gave us homegrown eggs, and I had everything lined up.
First, we wash the eggs very well to clean them from you know what, then we hard boil them, we put salt and vinegar in the water so this will avoid or at least help the cracks to a minimum, out of 20 eggs, only 3 cracked.
Then we prepare the dye in bowls. I also used cotton to create patterns. As tradition goes, the first egg should be red! This egg is the symbol of the blood of Christ, and we rub our children’s foreheads with it for health and good luck. It is a lot of fun when the kids are older and they can partake. The dye is nontoxic, so no worries there. Additionally, the first egg is placed next to an icon, so the saint will watch over it and the household and the family.
THE CELEBRATION:
As mentioned above, the whole family gathers, that is, if circumstances allow for this. In our case, we will not be able to join our relatives since my husband is working extra, and the celebration will be only the three of us. It is a bummer, because we were looking forward to this holiday since his brother, my brother-in-law, has twins and we wanted the kids to celebrate their first Easter together… But oh well, hopefully next time.
On Sunday, when it is Easter, each one of us picks an egg and we crack them with one another. Whose egg does not crack will have health and luck all year! It is a fun game and an excuse to eat more eggs, really, haha. We eat kozunak, which is sweet yeast bread made only around Easter, and one can add dried grapes (raisins), lokum and other nuts. And it is delicious!
During Good Friday, a lot of people will visit the church, but the most important day for us and the church happens on Saturday at midnight mass. This is when all people, regardless of age, gather in the nearby church and receive the blessings from the priest and listen to the sermon of the priest’s choice. Some focus on the family, others on Easter and what it means to us, and some on the faith as a whole. After this is over, people are given lit candles and they have to carry them home without letting the flame go out. On the next day, on Easter, we greet each other. If you are greeting someone, you say: “Христос Воскресе!” (Khristos Voskrese!) — “Christ is Risen!” and they reply with: “Воистинa Воскресе!” (Voistina Voskrese!) — “Indeed He is Risen!”
THE BOOKS:
It would not be a book blog if I did not include some books! This time I am including the fairytales my daughter and I listened read from Bulgarian author Gergana Efremova. Her tales are amazing for the little ones and are the equivalent of cosy fantasy with talking forest animals!
Synopsis:
Step into the world of Joy the squirrel and her friends with this illustrated book with 5 stories. See how they help each other to survive the challenges that Mother Nature and the humans throw at them. Visit the forest cafe. Meet Kiki the mouse, Peppa the duck, Mama Bunny and all their families. Will their friend Grandpa Ivan manage to help them survive the flood? How will the wedding go? The idea is to encourage green type of living, living in harmony with nature, learn about the seasons, the herbs and the different trees in the forest. Read the stories and enjoy the illustrations made by the author herself.
Synopsis:
Once again step in to the world of Joy the squirrel and her tiny friends with the second book of the series. The book holds a selection of seven action packed stories illustrated by the author herself. Visit the workshop, where Sofi the mouse and her sister create miracles. Celebrate and eat with our little heroes. Help Joy to prepare some nice herbal remedies and learn how to brighten up your mood. Enjoy reading the stories enhanced with even more illustrations than before!
Unfortunately, the ones we listened to on Spotify are not translated into English, but for the curious ones, they are read by theatre actors from Shumen, a city in Bulgaria, for free, so children can have access to Bulgarian fairytales.
If you’ve made it so far, thank you! Let me know how you celebrate Easter and what books you have read?
Lin's Perspective 
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