General Information
Bulgaria is a country with a very rich cultural treasury. Along with the historical monuments from the Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Revival period and from more recent times preserved in our lands, there are numerous “live” cultural monuments as well.
The traditional Bulgarian customs, holidays and folk festivals may be called like that, among which the most famous are:· The Koukeri Carnival in the region of Pernik and Doupnitsa (January)
· The Festival of Roses in Kazanlak (May)
· The festival for authentic folklore in Koprivshtitsa (May-June)
· The folk festivals in Bourgas and Varna (August)
· The Festival of the Sea in Balchik and Sozopol (August);
· Festival of Dunov’s followers at the Seven Rila Lakes (the second half of August)
· “Pirin Sings” Folk Festival (August) and
· “Rozhen Sings” Folk Festival (September);
· The festival at the Krustova Gora (Forest of the Cross) (14th September)
· The Christmas festivities in the Balkan villages and towns (December-January)
· The Days of the different monasteries after the names of their patron saints according to the religious calendar
· Easter (in all churches and monasteries), with especially imposing ceremonies in the Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia and at the Rila Monastery
· The local folk dancing and singing festivals, etc.
Most tourist agencies have included in their packages some of the above-mentioned cultural events and the foreign visitors could get a “live” idea of the authentic culture of Bulgarians.The national folk costumes and musical instruments are very interesting and unique. Some of the most popular nosii (costumes) are the so-called “white outfits”, “black outfits”, the costumes from the Thracian, Rhodope and Vidin regions, etc. The folk costumes worn on different holidays are extremely varied. Among the most picturesque are the costumes of the Koukeri, Lazarki, the fire-dancers, etc., Most of these are on display in the ethnographic museums countrywide.
Traditional Bulgarian musical instruments with original sounding are the gaida (bagpipe), kaval (shepherd’s pipe), gudoulka (rebec), tupun (specific drums), gousla (a kind of mandolin), dvoyanka (double rebec), brumbuzuk (small pipe), chans and tyumbeleks (sheep’s bells). One can find audio, video-cassettes and CDs with recordings of Bulgarian folk music, the phenomenal Bulgarian folk singers and ensembles, who make Bulgaria popular all over the world.
