You are fed up with all the cheesy songs about snow, love and ringing bells… and movies with thin and flawless Hollywood actors?! Well…then this year you can do something different, something Bulgarian!
If you have already packed and you are on the way to Bulgaria, here are some ideas about how to spend your holiday.
Feel Christmassy!
Visit a cultural event. Bulgarians are very generous when it comes to celebrations. Many and different concerts are organized every year in each city of Bulgaria, where you can see national folk dances and listen to traditional music.
If you want to experience something more spectacular, you should definitely visit Sofia around Christmas.
I strongly recommend that you to go to the opera or ballet. “Sofia Opera and Ballet” is an old well recognised institution.
This year the are offering the ballet: “The Nutcracker” on the 21th , 22nd, 23rd, and 26th. This show will make you feel in the Christmas spirit better than any Hollywood movie. You can buy tickets directly from their website.
Before going to the opera don’t forget to have a walk around the beautiful city centre of the Capital.
Near the opera house you can find “Rakovska street” , known as the Theatre Street or Sofia’s Broadway, full with stunning historical buildings. You can also see the Bulgarian National Assembly, the “Alexander Nevski” Cathedral and German Christmas Market near them.
Taste the Bulgarian Christmas
If you want this Christmas not only to look, but also to feel and taste different, then cook some typical Bulgarian Christmas dishes.
On the 23rd of December Bulgarians cook a rich Christmas Eve supper. The menu consists of an odd number(7, 9 or 11) of vegetarian dishes.
According to tradition the Christmas Eve Dinner table should not be cleared until the next morning in order to provide sustenance for the spirits of ancestors who may come back to visit and eat before Christmas morning.
Here are my 3 delicious suggestions
Round loaf of bread with a lucky coin inside
A special aspect of the Bulgarian Christmas Eve meal is the round loaf of bread, in which a coin is hidden. The person who finds the coin will be rewarded with good fortune for the next year.
For the bread you will need 700g flour, 50g oil, 1,5 teaspoons salt, 1 package baking powder. Put all these together and knead the mixture until you have a soft dough. At the end put the coin inside the dough. Bake it for 40 minutes in 220 C*.
After the bread is ready, divide it into pieces according to the number of people in your family. You can even name a peace for your house or business, so that you will have good fortune in these places.
When you wake up on Christmas day…
The first thing you should do after you wake up on Christmas Day is to visit a Bulgarian orthodox church and enjoy the liturgy. The Bulgarian Christmas Ceremony is unique with its beautiful orthodox chanting. It is still a christian tradition, but you will experience it in a completely new and different way.
Meet the tradition “Koleduvane”
In some Bulgarian cities, most often in the villages around Burgas and in the Strandja Mountains you are very likely to be woken up on Christmas morning by a group of young men singing.
They are known as the “koledari” and they walk from door to door singing their songs in order to wish Good Health and Fortune to the owners of the houses which they visit and to all the people who hear them.
If the “koledari” knock on your door you should be very happy because they will sing for the good fortune of your house.
How to travel around Bulgaria at Christmas
One of the things which could destroy your Christmas is the Bulgarian State Railway system.
I know that people all over Europe rely on public transport and especially on railways, but never make the mistake of travelling by train in Bulgaria. They are about 30 years old and extremely dirty and slow.
My advice is to rent a car or take the bus.