Christmas in Bulgaria

Bulgarians still remember the times when they were dependent on harvest and livestock. They honor their history by incorporating pagan beliefs and winter solstice rituals into Christmas festivities.

For the most part, however, Bulgarians celebrate Christmas in the best traditions of Orthodox Christianity, observing the Nativity Fast and attending church services.

Most Bulgarians spend winter holidays at home with their loved ones, enjoying festive foods and sharing heartwarming stories.

When Do Bulgarians Celebrate Christmas?

The date of Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria often surprises foreigners. The thing is, Bulgarians prevalently belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church, and most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6 – but not Bulgarians.

Bulgarians celebrate Christmas on December 25 like Catholics because the Bulgarian Orthodox Church follows the Gregorian calendar.

Everyone used the Julian calendar back in the day, but in the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a reform to stop calendar drift.

The Catholic Church accepted the changes, while Orthodox Church continued to use the Julian calendar. For this reason, Catholic and Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, Easter, and other religious holidays with a 13-day difference.

The Bulgarian Parliament accepted the calendar reform in 1916, but the Church followed the Julian calendar until 1968. Then, it accepted the revised calendar together with Romanian and Greek Orthodox Church.

However, the discussions about the correctness of such a decision are ongoing in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and some senior bishops suggest that Bulgarians must return to the old calendar. For this reason, some Bulgarians still celebrate Christmas on January 6.

The Day of Saint Ignazhden

For many Bulgarians, December 20 is equally important as December 24. They believe that Mary was in labor for four days before Jesus was born and celebrate the Day of Saint Ignazhden to mark the beginning of her throes.

Saint Ignazhden, or Saint Ignatius of Antioch, was one of Saint John’s best students and Evangelist Apostles. Emperor Trajan took Saint Ignatius to Rome and fed him to lions for refusing to acknowledge the official gods.

According to Bulgarian beliefs, people shouldn’t work on Saint Ignatius Day, and even leaving home until dawn is undesirable.

Bulgarians also shouldn’t lend anyone money, take anything out of the house, including trash, and must carry something in their hands when they step outside.

Most importantly, all Bulgarians should have clean wishes and thoughts on Saint Ignatius Day. December 20 also historically was an important day in the Bulgarian folk calendar when pagans performed rituals to ward off evil spirits.

Bulgarians perform Tsyalata rites of Ignazhden on December 20, rituals beginning in the early morning and ending in the evening around the festive table. The practices are believed to bring luck to the people and fertility to the land.

Bulgarians residing in villages sow wheat on December 20. Offering fruits and nuts to the first guest who comes to the evening feast is customary – Bulgarians believe that a person who enters the house first will have a good year.

Numerous other beliefs are related to Saint Ignatius Day. For example, Bulgarians expect drought in spring if the weather is clear on December 20, but if it rains, the harvest will be abundant.

Caroling – Koleduvane

Caroling is a long-standing European Christmas tradition with Celtic pagan roots. People in the British Isles used to sing to cider trees in orchards, hoping to please the gods of harvest.

Over time, the custom has morphed into going from house to house and singing Christmas songs. Bulgarians also go caroling at Christmas time – they call caroling “koleduvane,” derived from the modern Bulgarian word for Christmas, “Koleda.”

Traditionally, Bulgarians go caroling on Saint Ignatius night and Christmas Eve. They visit the houses of neighbors and wish them well. The songs are typically performed by young men, and everyone is dressed in festive clothes.

Back in the day, carolers in Slavic countries used to wear terrifying costumes depicting demons and beasts, but nowadays, Bulgarian carolers typically wear national costumes.

Most Bulgarian Christmas carols are based on folk stories about Virgin Mary and the Nativity. The time of koleduvane is strictly defined – from midnight to dusk.

The idea of the tradition is to drive away evil spirits, and house owners reward carolers with treats for their effort. The tradition is primarily observed in villages nowadays and is almost forgotten in urban areas.

Nativity Fast

Since Bulgarians are Orthodox Christians, many observe the Nativity Fast, 40 days of physical and spiritual cleansing before Christmas. People should refrain from their bad habits, overeating, and negative thoughts during the Nativity Fast.

Wednesdays and Fridays are especially strict, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays, people can drink wine and cook with oil. Not every Bulgarian observes the entire 40 days of Nativity Fast, but almost everyone fasts the last four days before Christmas.

Bulgarians eat vegetarian dishes on Christmas Eve, including peppers stuffed with rice and herbs, pumpkin soup, nuts, dried fruit, and bread. Some families also eat fish because fish has a symbolic significance in Christianity.

Pitka is Bulgarian Christmas bread made without butter or milk – basically, pitka is 100% vegan-friendly. Some Bulgarians hide a coin in the bread, and whoever finds it is believed to have a happy year.

Kolivo, similar to Russian sochivo or Polish kutya, is a Bulgarian Christmas Eve pudding with wheat, berries, honey, seeds, dried fruit, and walnuts.

Pickled foods are a must at the Bulgarian Christmas dinner – Bulgarians love pickled everything, including cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Bulgarians always have an odd number of dishes on the Christmas Eve table because it brings luck and fertility into the house.

Traditionally, the Christmas feast only begins after the first star appears in the sky or after people return home from the Midnight Mass.

Church Services

Like Catholics, Orthodox Christians attend church services on Christmas Eve, celebrating the birth of Christ. Most churches hold the festive service at midnight, marking the transition from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day.

Bulgarian Christmas church services involve singing hymns and reading biblical passages. The priests wish well to everyone attending and allow people to come to the altar.

Many Bulgarians light candles from the fire burning at the altar and bring them home. Some also bless Christmas food with holy water and pray for their loved ones. The most devoted Bulgarians attend another mass on Christmas morning.

Christmas Food in Bulgaria

Bulgarian cuisine is meat-based, so observing the Nativity Fast is especially challenging for locals. However, Bulgarians know it is worth the effort when Christmas Day arrives with its abundant traditional feast.

Unlike Americans and most Europeans who gather for a feast in the evening, Bulgarians usually gather in the afternoon. They often invite the entire family, including aunts, grandparents, and cousins, but not friends or neighbors.

Bulgarian Christmas food is all about meat, with the main dish being kapama, containing at least three cuts of meat, usually pork, chicken, and sausage, mixed with pickled cabbage, onions, rice, and herbs.

Interestingly, kapama is the name of the clay pot where food is cooked rather than the dish itself, but every Bulgarian knows the recipe.

Peppers and cabbage stuffed with rice and mince are also popular, served with sour cream. Many people cook turkey or ham, following American Christmas traditions.

Bulgarian Christmas dessert can be any – Bulgarians don’t have a traditional Christmas cake. Many people bake pumpkin cake with walnuts, jam-filled cookies topped with sugar powder, or baklava.

Christmas Market

Bulgaria blends Eastern and Western Christmas traditions, adopting customs from Russia, Serbia, Poland, Germany, and other countries. Christmas markets are one of such German Christmas traditions Bulgarians happily embrace.

The first Christmas markets in Germany appeared in the 13th century, but in Bulgaria, it’s a relatively recent invention. The largest Christmas market is held annually in Sophia, the Bulgarian capital city.

Sophia’s Christmas market follows the best traditions of festive spirit – wooden stalls decorated with fairy lights, mulled wine, traditional foods, handmade ornaments, an ornate Christmas tree, and an ice rink nearby.

The cities of Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and some Bulgarian villages also host Christmas markets. They may not be as large as in Switzerland or Germany, but they are undoubtedly atmospheric and cozy.

Grandfather Christmas Brings The Gifts

Bulgarian kids are always excited for Christmas presents from Dyado Koleda or Grandfather Christmas. Bulgarian Santa didn’t originate from Saint Nicholas, but from a Slavic mythological character, Morozko or Ded Moroz, translated as Grandfather Frost.

Dyado Koleda is usually depicted wearing an ornate long robe, a tall, embellished hat, and carrying a magic stick. He rides a sleigh drawn by the troika – three magic horses. Unlike Santa, Dyado Koleda doesn’t have elf helpers but has a kind granddaughter Snow Maiden.

Kids don’t hang stockings on the fireplace but receive gifts under the Christmas tree. Often, a kind neighbor or family member would dress up as Dyado Koleda and bring the gifts in a large sack.

However, in recent years, Dyado Koleda has experienced a decrease in popularity, losing to American Santa Claus. Furthermore, many adult Bulgarians prefer to exchange gifts on New Year’s Eve and refrain from the tradition on Christmas.