Celebrate Christmas in Bulgaria!

Christmas is only a few weeks away. Why not celebrate Christmas in Bulgaria?  It’s that time of the year when winter sets in Bulgaria. While it does get cold here, it’s not nearly as cold as it gets in the UK. This is a great time to visit the country.

First things first, book a hotel in Bulgaria online. Clara Hotel is the best Irish run hotel in Bulgaria. It’s located in the small town of Sarafovo, and is at a 5 minute drive from the Burgas International Airport.

Christmas is celebrated in Bulgaria in a very unique style.  The winter celebrations begin with the Dimitrovden (St Dimitar’s Day) and are finished with a flourish with the Gergiovden (St. George’s day).  

Winter is a great time of celebration in the country with many days dedicated to the memory of the great Saints of the past.  It is also the time when families get together. Christmas is a very old and hugely popular tradition in Bulgaria, which has been a part of the nation’s culture for hundreds of years.

Christmas in Bulgaria is of course celebrated on the 25^th of December. Bulgarians are Eastern Orthodox Christians by faith, but they follow the Gregorian calendar, which is why they celebrate Christmas on the 25^th of December.

 Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria last for three days. They begin on 25^th December, the day Jesus Christ was born. The next two days are celebrated in the honour of people who carry the names Joseph, Hristo and Hristina (December 26^th) and Stefan, Stefka and Stoyan (December 27^th).

There’s the last day f the Christmas fast that is celebrated on 24^th December, or on Christmas Eve.  During this day, Bulgarians stay off meat and have only vegan food. They prepare delicacies from rice, beans and grape leaves. Pumpkin dishes are a firm favourite and they are had with traditional bread. 

The traditional bread serves as a fortune cookie, which reveals what the following year holds in prospect for each member of the family. Following the end of the dinner, the dishes are not put away – they are left alone on the table for the entire night. This is done to bring good luck to the whole family.

Koleduvane is a beautiful tradition which happens at the end of every Christmas Eve, at 12 am sharp, the time Jesus Christ was believed to have been born. Only teens and young adult men take part in this ritual – married men are not allowed to participate.

They dress in special clothes and get organized in the house of the leader of the group. Then together, they start going from home to home, singing happy and devotional Christmas songs, wishing peace and prosperity to one and all.

 Christmas is that time of the year when the whole family gets together in Bulgaria. Every household has a Christmas tree and distributes presents. It’s a lot of fun for everyone. There are a lot of games to play for children and there’s something for adults as well.

Needless to mention, for the young, Christmas is a time to get together and party. There are always huge Christmas parties at beach resorts such as Sunny Beach, where tourists from all over the world participate. We hope you have fun in Bulgaria this Holiday Season!