The eldest breaks the round loaf, "питка"
, and whoever finds the hidden coin will be lucky all year. Christmas itself is "Коледа"
. Say "Весела Коледа!"
or "Честито Рождество!"
.
Explore Bulgaria
Christmas Eve
On 24 December — "Бъдни вечер"
— the family sits down to a meatless dinner with an odd number of dishes, often seven, nine or eleven: stuffed peppers, beans, "сарми"
(vine- or cabbage-leaf rolls), walnuts, "ошав"
(dried-fruit compote).
Boby Dimitrov · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
History of Bulgaria
An illustrated history of Bulgaria
Explore Bulgaria
EvelinaRibarova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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Easter eggs
For "Великден"
(Easter) Bulgarians dye eggs on Holy Thursday or Saturday — the first one is always red.
MichaelElfial · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
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Coffee culture
In Bulgaria "едно кафе"
means an espresso — short and strong.
Handshakes, hugs and kisses
Strangers and business contacts shake hands and say "Здравейте!"
or "Добър ден!"
.