 |
Bulgaria
has
a
culture
and
tradition
dating
back
for
1300
years.
Bulgarians
are
proud
of
their
heritage
and
feel
that
it
rightfully
deserves
its
place
in
the
diversity
of
European
cultures.
Browse
thought
these
pages
to
discover
things
about
Bulgaria
you
probably
never
knew.
In
Bulgaria
the
foreign
tourists
can
get
acquainted
with
original
versatile
culture
that
represents
an
organic
entity
of
various
ethno
cultural
communities
-
Proto-Bulgarians,
Slavs
and
the
ancient
settlers
on
the
Balkans,
mainly
Thracians.
Some
historical
prerequisites
account
for
cooperation
and
continuity
-
the
traditions
of
assimilated
earlier
inhabitants
of
the
Balkans
underlie
the
Bulgarian
culture.
Inherent
in
the
Christian
holidays
and
customs
(Christmas,
Shrovetide,
Easter,
Midsummer
Day,
Holy
Cross
Day,
etc.)
are
different
heathen
rites
and
magic
symbols.
The
pagan
pantheon
is
related
to
the
Christian
saints
-
the
Thracian
Heros
to
St.
George,
the
cult
of
Dionysis
to
St.
Trifon,
the
Slavonic
Perun
to
St.
Elijan,
the
fire-dancing
(dance
over
live
coals)
to
St.
Constantine.
Even
today
an
enormous
treasure-trove
of
verbal,
musical
and
decorative
works
is
still
kept.
The
Bulgarian
folk
song
embraces
all
spheres
of
life
(field-
and
housework,
customs)
and
contains
traits
of
ancient
heathen
and
Christian
rites
-
images
of
supernatural
creatures,
legends
of
heroes
-
younaks
and
haidouts
(Momchil,
Krali
Marko),
of
historical
events.
Predominantly
monophonic,
the
Bulgarian
folk
song
has
preserved
numerous
ancient
elements.
This
is a
syncretic
art
form
that
originated
from
the
cohesion
of
poetry
and
music
and
combined
with
dance,
it
is
among
the
most
ingenious
in
Europe.
The
Bulgarian
folk
dances
-
horo
-
are
performed
by
groups
of
participants
clutching
their
hands
in a
row
of
ring,
only
the
rachenitsa
is
an
individual
dance.
The
way
of
life
and
aesthetics
of
the
Bulgarian
people
can
be
traced
in a
miscellany
of
works
by
unknown
masters.
Supported
by
historical
and
archaeological
data
(memoirs
of
travellers,
portraits
of
church-donors,
archaeological
finds)
in
the
forms
and
the
decorations
of
stone
and
metal
articles,
in
ceramics
and
jewellery,
church
vessels,
in
the
types
of
clothing
one
can
trace
traditional
links
with
peoples
that
Bulgarians
came
into
contact
on
the
Balkans
-
the
crossroad
of
the
East
and
the
West.
Thus
the
Bulgarian
national
costume
(nosiya)
bears
elements,
resulting
from
the
influence
of
Thracian
clothing
(yamourlouk),
of
the
national
clothing
from
the
Middle
Ages,
inherited
by
the
Slavs
(white
shirt).
Some
of
the
ornaments
(meander)
have
been
adopted
from
ancient
art,
the
one-apron
and
the
double-apron
dresses
bear
a
number
of
common
Slavonic
elements.
The
adornments
-
earrings,
prochelnik
(diadem),
rings,
bracelets
-
have
been
a
part
of
the
costume
since
the
remote
past.
Conquered
by
the
Turks,
the
Bulgarians
preserve
the
memory
of
the
tsar's
and
the
boyar's
garments,
and
imitate
their
rich
decoration,
but
instead
of
silk,
golden
threads
and
precious
stones
they
use
simple
cloth,
trimmed
with
embroidery,
woolen
braiding,
beads
and
small
coins.
Works
of
domestic
crafts
are
the
heavy
thread
loose
weaves
(fleecy
and
tufted
rugs,
carpets)
miniature
artistic
textiles
(aprons,
pillow-cases,
belts,
crochet-works).
The
crafts
in
which
one
can
still
trace
the
unbroken
continuity
of
development
are
fretwork,
pottery,
goldsmith's,
ironsmith's
trade.
These
were
mastered
all
over
the
country,
but
in
the
separate
regions
manifest
specific
traits. |
