The "no" is often a short upward toss of the head, sometimes with a click of the tongue. Many people who talk to foreigners switch to the international gestures — which makes it even more confusing! The safe rule: listen for the words "да"
and "не"
, and say them out loud yourself.
Explore Bulgaria
Shake for yes?
Traditionally, Bulgarians shake their head from side to side to mean "да"
(yes) and nod to mean "не"
(no).
History of Bulgaria
An illustrated history of Bulgaria
Explore Bulgaria
borzo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Banitsa
"Баница"
is thin layered pastry baked with eggs and "сирене"
(white brined cheese).
Popo le Chien · CC0 · Source
Shopska salad
"Шопска салата"
— tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onion under a snowy mountain of grated "сирене"
— is the unofficial national dish.
Petko Yotov (user:5ko) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
The martenitsa
On 1 March Bulgarians give each other "мартеници"
— red-and-white tassels or bracelets — with the wish "Честита Баба Марта!"
.