We are sure that most of you are familiar with the bright customs of Lazarovden and Tsvetnitsa, which are celebrated on the Saturday and Sunday before Easter. That is why we refer to a few little-known but interesting facts related to these two beautiful spring holidays.
Did you know that…
- Lazarovden is a Christian holiday, but its traditional celebration in Bulgaria is not related to the legend of the resurrected Lazarus, but to a pagan ritual. In Bulgarian folk mythology, Lazar is depicted with an axe, cutting down trees, because he is believed to be the guardian of forests and woodlands.
- According to popular belief, a girl who has not participated in the Lazarus ritual will be kidnapped by a dragon who is in love with her.
- The Lazarus girls sing different songs. When they gather in one of the Lazarus houses to set off, they sing one song. As they go from house to house, they sing another, and then, depending on the host and his social status, they choose a third song from the many options.
- On Palm Sunday, the Lazarus girls throw their wreaths made of willow branches into the river. The wreath that floats ahead of the others gives its owner the right to be called “godmother.” She must give wise advice to the other girls throughout the year and bake a special bread. This bread is called a doll, and in some parts of the country it is called a loaf or a kolak.
- In some regions of Bulgaria, rituals are performed on Palm Sunday based on the belief that on Palm Sunday, the dead rise from their graves and wait for their relatives to bring them something. Early in the morning, women go to the cemetery with willow branches, corn stalks, incense, and water. They burn incense and pour water on the graves of their loved ones.
- According to statistics from 2019, 367,093 people celebrate Palm Sunday. Of these, 282,749 are women and 84,344 are men. Rositsa, Margarita, and Violeta are among the most common female names in Bulgaria. 28,998 Bulgarian women are named Rositsa, 25,426 are named Violeta, and 25,104 are named Margarita.
We wish you bright and cheerful holidays! And if you need propane-butane delivered to your home, don’t hesitate to contact us at our national number: 0700 20204, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. Our deliveries in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Blagoevgrad, Pleven, and Sozopol are made from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.