Religion in Bulgaria. Customs, traditions and folklore. Culture of Bulgaria, discover the icons of Bulgarian culture and art, ancient cultural monuments, applied arts, choral songs, UNESCO cultural heritage sites.
Bulgarians are famous for their hospitality and exuberance towards strangers. Often tourists are surprised that they are invited to dinner, coffee or cake by complete strangers. However, in order to win the favor of such hospitable hosts, one should always come to such a visit with a small gift. This is a tradition that is extremely important for Bulgarians. Flowers, chocolates or good coffee as a gift will show that we appreciate the gesture of invitation.
Bulgaria – religion.
Over 80% of the population is followers of the Orthodox Church. The rest are Muslims, Catholics and Jews. Most regularly attend the Church and actively participate in services and all holidays. What is also very interesting, during the Protestant holidays you can see how the religious tradition is mixed with the pagan one. Although probably not many people even realize it, it is during the biggest holidays that traditional rites are cultivated and passed on to the next generations by seniors. All these holidays are very colorful and cheerful, people dress in traditional clothes and are always accompanied by music.
Being the heart of many ancient civilizations, Bulgaria’s rich culture is reflected in a large number of architectural treasures. Only Greece and Italy have a greater number of historical monuments. You can find Greek places and squares, Italian amphitheaters and Byzantine churches all over the country. Culture and art lovers visiting Bulgaria will not be disappointed. Thousands of monuments dating back to the Greek, Roman and Byzantine times There are 7 monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, 40,000 other monuments, 160 monasteries and monastic buildings, numerous museums and galleries as well as traditional forms of wine, rose oil and rose cultivation. You can also participate in traditional crafts courses: embroidery, pottery and woodcut. The greatest works of art are icons from the 13th-14th centuries, created under the influence of the so-called painting school in Tyreno.
Musical culture and traditional hospitality
The tradition of choral singing is also known in the world, which has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. Bulgaria’s culture is rich in various forms of artistic activity. From the mid-1980s, interesting and diverse folk music, noticed and appreciated in the world, and considered a cultural showcase of Bulgaria, deserves special attention. The most popular are female singing (including choral) and wedding bands. The musicians are usually Gypsies, their performances are expressive and contain a large dose of spontaneity. Bulgarians pride themselves on their hospitality and kindness. Everyone, even unexpected guests, is greeted with effusiveness and invited to the house. Folk music is deeply rooted in the Bulgarian tradition. She is very diverse, lively and cheerful. The largest group is female, although in recent years in many choirs more and more equal rights can be noticed. There are quite a lot of Gypsies in Bulgaria, hence the lively Gypsy music can also be included in the Bulgarian folklore.
Objects in Bulgaria from the UNESCO cultural heritage list
* Church of Bojańska near Sofia
* Madara Rider
* Complex of churches carved in the rock in Ivanovo
* Thracian tomb from Kazanlak
* The historic city of Nesseba
* Srebyrna Nature Reserve
* Pirinu National Park * Rila Monastery
* Thracian Tomb in Sheshtari
