Velikden:
Bulgaria
| Copyright 2007 |
Velikden, which means "The great day", is the name given to Easter in the Bulgarian calendar
and is an extremely important day for the Bulgarian people.
Velikden, like Easter in other countries, always falls on a Sunday and moves from year to year
dependant on the cycle of the moon.
and is an extremely important day for the Bulgarian people.
Velikden, like Easter in other countries, always falls on a Sunday and moves from year to year
dependant on the cycle of the moon.
The evening before Velikden many Bulgarians go to church and await 12 midnight for the day
to arrive, this is because Velikden is the day of resurrection and celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus.
Once 12 midnight arrives everyone celebrates, lighting candles and saying to each other
"Hristos Vorskrese", to which a person replies "Voistina Vorskrese", these translate to mean
"Christ has risen" with the reply, "Indeed he has risen".
Through out the day the Bulgarian people will spend time with their family preparing a feast of
roasted lamb and giving each other present of painted eggs, or gifts that have a representation
of an egg.
There is a game that is played with the painted eggs where one person holds their egg with the
head facing up, and the other taps the top with the head of their egg until one egg cracks, this
is then repeated with the bottom of the egg. The egg that does not crack is the winner.
At the family meal a toast will be made with alcohol (usually Rakia or Wine) about Velikden,
and wishing everyone good life and health for the future.
Velikden is not just a great day in the Orthodox religion calendar, it is also a great day for
families in Bulgaria to be together.
to arrive, this is because Velikden is the day of resurrection and celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus.
Once 12 midnight arrives everyone celebrates, lighting candles and saying to each other
"Hristos Vorskrese", to which a person replies "Voistina Vorskrese", these translate to mean
"Christ has risen" with the reply, "Indeed he has risen".
Through out the day the Bulgarian people will spend time with their family preparing a feast of
roasted lamb and giving each other present of painted eggs, or gifts that have a representation
of an egg.
There is a game that is played with the painted eggs where one person holds their egg with the
head facing up, and the other taps the top with the head of their egg until one egg cracks, this
is then repeated with the bottom of the egg. The egg that does not crack is the winner.
At the family meal a toast will be made with alcohol (usually Rakia or Wine) about Velikden,
and wishing everyone good life and health for the future.
Velikden is not just a great day in the Orthodox religion calendar, it is also a great day for
families in Bulgaria to be together.
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