Life cycle - birth:
The pregnant woman is defined as difficult, heavy, not empty, full, in a
situation, etc. Until it is not obvious the pregnancy is kept in
secret because it is believed that if people know that in the first
days and months of the pregnancy the women can easily loose their
babies.
The pregnant woman usually does the entire house and field work if she
can but there are also a lot of forbidden things which aim to make the
birth easier, ensure a normal pregnancy, the health of the woman and
the child. Those restrictions usually lack in rational explanations -
the pregnant woman should not kill a snake, should not eat rabbit
meat, should not kick a cat or a dog, should not look at an icon for a
long period ( in some places this restriction has the opposite meaning
- the woman should look at icons so that the newly-born is beautiful),
etc.
In many parts of the country it is considered that the pregnant woman
brings bad luck, that is why she should not jump over the thill of the
cart (this would be dangerous for the oxen), the hunters do not bring
their game in her house because their rifles may go bad, etc. In other
regions she is considered a bringer of happiness and luck.
The woman who has given birth is called - a woman in
child-birth, a lying-in woman and a young mother and the birth -
gaining and yield. The act of giving birth was kept in secret. The
pregnant woman is isolated in a basement, a sheep pan or a barn and no
one takes care of her as it comes to comfort and hygiene. They take
care of her only if the delivery is complicated - the woman drinks the
water that her husband used to wash his hands and a tea from a special
herb. When she gives birth at her home the navel string is cut with a
reaping-hook by the grandmother (who helps in the delivery of the
baby) and the first diaper is the shirt of the father.
There is a common fear that on the third day
after the birth the young mother may be overrun by navjatsi. The bed
is encircled by a rope as a protection from the navjatsi, a broom or
some onions are left nearby, the place is incensed, etc. The mother
and the child are completely isolated after sun set - the doors and
the windows are closed so that no light could come out. All those
precautions are taken in the next forty days.
The mother and the child are considered to be under the
protection of the Mother of God (she stands nearby during the
delivery) and there is a ritual to knead bread for the God's Mother.
The newly-born is first put over the fireplace so that
it grows healthy. The next thing is the breast-feeding (a sieve that
has bread and onions is held over the head of the mother and two
loaves of bread are put under her shoulders so that the child could
always be well nourished). They put herbs that bring health, a silver
coin and an egg in the water of the first bath. A typical thing is the
putting of salt over the baby on the third day after its birth,
done
so that its sweat will not smell bad.
The young mother is considered unclean and that
is why she does not touch the fire, she should not go near water
springs or wells should not wash the diapers for some time, should not
knead bread for a month after the birth. It is believed that if
something is taken out of the house that has a newly-born in it the
milk of the mother may get dry.
One of the solemn after-birth rituals is the so called second bread.
On the fortieth day after the birth the mother
goes to a purging prayer along with the child and the grandmother.
The baptizing is among the most important family
holidays (ten days after the birth). The ritual takes place in the
church and the most important people are the grandmother and the
god-mother.
There are rituals connected to the different important
moments in the life of the child up to the years of its wedding - the
first tooth, the first step, the first work that he does by himself,
etc.
It is believed that the Weird Sisters come on the third night after
the birth - the fortune predicted by them could not be swept away.
Life
cycle - baptizing, holy baptizing, Christening:
The baptizing is the first sacrament that
welcomes to
Christianity
every person who has decided to join the group of the religious. The
cross that the priest puts over the baptized shows he has to accept
all the challenges patiently. The three tours that he makes around the
baptismal font show the joy of the unification with the faith. The
lock of hair that the priest cuts off shows that he becomes God's
servant. The lightened candles that everyone present at the baptizing
is holding symbolize God's enlightenment. The sacrament of the
baptizing is done only once and therefore it is as unique as the birth
itself.
The choice of the person who is going to lead the new
Christian to the faith is very important. He becomes his godfather and
is considered as a spiritual father of the child. Along with the
parents he takes care of the child and is supposed to guide him to a
righteous life. These are the people that bring a big white towel, a
white cloth for cleaning the face and a soup for the ritual. For the
health sake of the child the parents bring bread, candies and cookies
into the temple.
The godfather gives his godson a little gold or silver cross
which is consecrated during the ritual and has to be worn the whole
life as a symbol of the Christian faith.
Life cycle - Marriage,
Getting married, Wedding:
Everyone is welcome to attend weddings and
Christenings at Varna Cathedral
The Bulgarian national wedding is one of the most symbolic and
traditional celebrations and the different customs show the centuries
of history and the specific Bulgarian lifestyle and culture.
The matchmaking is very important in the wedding.
Matchmakers go from the house of the groom to the house
of
the bride-to-be late at night. The late hour of those visits is
connected to what Bulgarians consider formality - the house of the
lady should keep its good name even if the answer of the lass is
negative. The matchmaker shows what his intentions are by closing the
door with his back turned to it, and then he sits next to the
fireplace and starts poking the ashes. Usually the parents do not
agree on marriage from the first visit of the matchmaker that's why
they should come at least twice. As soon as they reach an agreement
they start treating themselves. This treat is called "tavern" and is
considered as a confirmation of the agreement. The young couple
receives blessings and good wishes for a long and happy marriage.
Another important thing is the wedding ring that bride-to-be gets
during the matchmaking.
The wedding continues with a number of traditions
in the lad's or the lass' home. In the lass' home the preparation of
the wedding breads starts. The wedding breads are not only made for
the purpose of feeding the guests but also as
symbolic
images which have magical effect on the future of the couple. They put
one of the lad's rings and one of the lass' bracelets in the flour.
The parents of the girl who prepares the bread should be alive. The
wedding breads have a lot of beautiful images in relief. They are
called "the best man's bread", or "the bride's bread", or "wedding
bread", or "dove's bread" because of the images of birds on it made
with dough.
The wedding banner is made either in the bride's or in
the groom's home or in both of them at the same time because the two
homes are getting united by this marriage. The banner is white or red
or both with a flower, a golden apple on top and a bunch of basil
bound together by a red thread. People believe that those objects are
magical powers that they give health and well-being and protect from
magic. The handle of the banner should be cut off with one strike only
so that there is only one marriage for those people. In some regions
the bride decorates a small wedding tree which she gives to the best
man receiving a bribe in return.
An important part of the wedding is the combing
of the bride's hair which symbolizes her becoming a married woman.
This ritual comes from the ancient Slavs and the hair that freely goes
down the shoulders represents freedom. The Slav girls wore their hair
down and did not cover it with anything and after the wedding they
braided their hair which meant that they are no longer girls but
women. The process of undoing the braids, washing the hair and
braiding
it again takes place at the day before the wedding and that is the
last night of the girl in her father's home. The replacement of the
woman's kind of braiding with the girl's one is closely connected to
the sexual act in the groom's house. That's why during the combing the
atmosphere in the girl's house is gloomy. Her friends try to persuade
her not to give up her maidenhood.
The ritual that corresponds to the girl's combing in
the groom's house is the shaving. It is done before he goes to take
the bride from her house. This is a big celebration symbolizing the
end of his celibacy. During the shaving a cloth is held under his chin
so that all the hair goes in it and gets protected from spells. After
this ritual they all go to take the bride. The yard door or the door
of the house of the bride is always closed when the groom comes to
take her. To be let in he has to fight with the bride's brother or to
solve some difficult tasks and sometimes even give some money.
Before the groom takes her out of the house the bride
covers her head with a thick red cloth so that he could not see her
face. When she comes out of the house everyone sings a song for
goodbye:
"А pine is bending over,
A girl is saying goodbye to her family:
- Good bye, family
Good bye sweet mother
You held me under you heart
For nine months
And on your arms for three years!"
In the groom's house the mother-in-law welcomes
the bride with bread, butter, honey and salt. She is considered the
new woman in the house that is going to take care of the household.
The bride has to put a tree in the fireplace to become part of the new
home. In the morning the bride goes outside under a fertile tree and
takes the cloth away from her head and puts it on the tree. On the
first day of her marriage she starts doing the house work and in this
way becomes a part of the new family life.
After all the wedding ceremonies are finished the
young people are officially considered a married couple that starts
its own life.
Life cycle - Funeral,
Death:
There is ritual that after the death of the
ill man a certain kind of bread is prepared and is eaten, in health's
sake, by the people attending the funeral. It is believed that it is
after that when the soul goes out of the house and starts making
circles around the chimney. After that another kind of bread is
prepared - a well-done one, it is eaten as well and after that the
soul starts for its long travel. The windows or the doors are usually
open, the cups are turned upside-down and the mirrors and the
portraits are covered with a cloth.
The body is washed with soap or just water with basil in it "for a
good smell". The eyes should necessarily be closed or someone else may
die as well.
The dead man is dressed in clean clothes, usually
new ones and is covered with canopy - a white cloth; it is believed
that in this canopy the dead man appears to the God. The dead lads or
lasses are dressed in wedding clothes.
There is a common belief that in the grave the
dead men have the same needs as the living ones and that is why
apples, bread and dry fruit are put in it. A common ritual is the
putting of money in the dead man's pocket, a ransom for the next
world.
There are a lot of rituals done to protect
the dead man from becoming a vampire - a
cross,
garlic, an icon or incense are put near the body. The announcement of
the death is done by the toll of the church bell. The dead man is
loudly wailed over. It is considered a fearful and wrong thing to not
wail over the dead man.
Everywhere the dead man is put in a coffin
(a box, a trunk). Before the dead man is taken out of the house his
relatives say their last good-byes to him. The cemetery is usually
near the village and the grave is called the house or the home of the
dead. Everyone that attends the funeral tosses some dust over the
coffin and says: "May he rest in peace" or "God rest his soul" . When
leaving the cemetery or when they arrive home the relatives wash their
hands so that they wash away the bad.
A cross put over the grave on the head's
side. A table is put on grave on the fortieth day. Other
commemorations are done on the third and on the ninth month as well as
in the first and third year. The mourning can be seen in the clothes
and in the behaviour. The mourning women wear black clothes, black
head clothes and wear no jewellery.
After the rites, when the sorrow is perhaps the greatest, people are
again together. Life goes on and people are together also after death.
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PEACE HAVENS of BULGARIA
