Bulgarian Christmas Traditions

[Richard Davies]

I had someone contact me today with the following question regarding Bulgarian Christmas traditions:

I would like to find out what people from Bulgaria do to celebrate Christmas.  Do they have special foods that they prepare?  What are their Christmas Customs?  We would like to surprise someone with their home land customs at Christmas.  We don't know what they eat or how to prepare it.  We would certainly appreciate any help that you could give us.  Merry Christmas to you all.

I wanted to post this question on the forum so that anyone could post a response. So if you have a specific Christmas recipe or tradition that you could pass along, please reply to this post. Thank you!

[wittles]

Conte, remember our Christmas in lyulin? It seems to me that a traditional Christmas and New Years involves lots of alchohol and ammo. 

[jeffhale32]

you have to know that Bulgarians don't do much for Christmas due to the many years of communism. New Years is a much bigger holiday for them. they might have a nice dinner with traditional bulgarian food though.

[Brinton]

It's true that Christams in Bulgaria was a subdued affair for years while the communists were in charge, but in the years since the fall of the Wall Bulgarians have become more open about celebrating Christmas.

Celebrations ususally start on Christmas Eve (Budni Vecher) with a family dinner of meatless dishes.  The reason to eat meatless is symbloic of the sacrifice and humility of Jesus Christ, there are traditionally 12 dishes in the meal, each representing an Apostle.  In addition, very devout Pravoslini Hora (Orthodox Christians) will have an almost lenten like observance of the meatless tradition for the 40 days before Christmas.   Staw is also placed under the dishes on the table and not removed from the table till Christmas morning.

Some of the typical dishes that you might find at a Christmas Eve dinner are these:

Pitka (eggless and butterless bread)
Leek Yakina (soup)
Bean Soup (made with wite beans such as great northern or navy beans and mint)
Hummus
Lentils
Stuffed Cabbage leaves
Surmi (stuffed grape leaves, sometimes called Dolma in Greek delis)
Boiled Weat with dried fruit (symbolic of the foods left on Noah's ark)
Dried frurt compote (which is made by re-constituting dried fruit with pears in a sugar syrup)
Fasting Tikvanik (pumpkin wrapped in phyllo pastery -- like a banitza but made with out any dairy or eggs)
Bowl of fruits and nuts (especially walnuts)
Bowl of Honey (symbloizing thrift, hard work and working together)

Another tradition is that after the meal, the dishes are left out on the table over night.  I don't know the origin of this tradition, but some families do this.  Also, it's traditional that after the meal, which usually is served about 8 PM, the family will go to the midnight church service.

As for Christmas day, families and friends get together and eat, open presents and do regular holiday type things.  The Bulgarians also take the 26th as part of the celebrations.

Have fun i Vesela Koleda!!