Easter - the brightest and thе

holiest day in Christian calendar.

Easter is the time of spring festivals,

the time of welcoming back the tulips,

the crocuses and the daffodils.

Everyone has a great time at Easter.

It takes place in spring when the

weather is nice and flowers are

blooming.

EASTER IN BULGARIA

Easter festive in Bulgaria usually begin after long Easter lent. The first day

from Easter festive begins with so called Lazarovden (St.Lazar’s day).

Lazar’s day is a Christian Holiday named after St. Lazarus. The name

Lazarus is a symbol of health and longevity.(Lazarus was a friend of Jesus

and when he died was buried three days after his death, God says-“Lazarus

arise!”And he Lazarus did.

Festivities on St Lazar's Day,

devoted to young girls, pastures,

fields and woods, may have long

lost their ritual significance,

but remain one of the best-loved

and known traditions in Bulgaria. 

The holiday is marked

each year on the last Saturday

before Easter and a day before

Palm Sunday. 

Lazarovden(st.Lazar’s day)

was quite an event in the life

of every young girl, for then

she could demonstrate to the

village community that she has grown up

to be an "accomplished maiden".

Traditions had it that a girl, who did not

participate

in the so-called lazarouvane could not have

a loved

one and was likely to be carried off by a

dragon.

The girls would gather

in groups of about ten at the house of the

prettiest one and start from there with

their songs to make a round of the village.

The songs sung on St Lazar's Day praise the beauty of the

maiden and her lover, the industriousness of the farmer, the

purity of maternal love and express wishes for happiness and

prosperity. Legend has it that health, wealth and love will

reign in the house that the girls visit.

A

fter completing their round, the lazarki returned to the house

they started from to share out among them the presents they

had received. On the next day, Palm Sunday, they gathered

again to go to the river and drop their willow wreaths in the

stream.

The wreath to be carried away the fastest would determine

"the best girl", whose home would host a humble feast for the maidens.

T

he girl whose flower wreath or ritual bread floats ahead of the rest of

the objects is named Kumitsa and is treated with great respect during

the holiday.

At the end of the day participants in

the celebration

dance a circle folk dance called lazarsko

horo(Lazar’s dance).

On Lazarovden all

those named Lazar and

Lazarina celebrate

their name day.

On the Sunday before Easter Sunday called

Cvetnitsa (The flowers day) Bulgarians commemorate

Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem

through a crowd waving palm branches, Bulgarians

also celebrate the so called “Flower Sunday” to

welcome spring and close the cycle of adolescent

girls’ vernal rites.

In the early morning housewives put willow

branches on their front doors and after the

solemn blessing of water performed in

churches consecrated flowers and willow

branches are put in front of the home icon.