Balgarianovinite.com Wednesday is the first day of the traditional Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria. They begin on December 24, the last day of the 40-day Orthodox fast, when Bulgarians typically have Christmas Eve dinner with their family and relatives, and last until December 27, which is the feast day of St. Stephen.
Unlike other Eastern Orthodox countries, Bulgaria does not celebrate Christmas on January 7, but on December 25, like most Western countries.
On Christmas Eve Bulgarians eat only vegan dishes (just like during the fast), which have to be an odd number, usually 5, 7, 9 or 11. Traditional meals include beans, stuffed peppers with rice or beans, grape leaves stuffed with rice, pumpkin dishes and traditional Christmas bread. The bread, called “pitka”, usually contains fortunes, which reveal what the next year will hold for each member of the family. After midnight on Christmas Eve people break their fast and are allowed to eat meat and dairy again.
An important part of the tradition is that after diner the dishes are not put away, but are left on the table overnight. The traditional belief is that Virgin Mary visits homes during the night and feasts on what is left. Others say that the ones who visit are dead relatives or friends. The tradition is similar to the western custom of leaving cookies and milk out for Santa.
On Christmas day, the plant-based meals are taken off the table. The only exceptions are the onions, garlic and honey, which are meant to bring good health, a rich harvest and prosperity. The custom in the recent past was to have a pig, which the family had raised over the year, slaughtered and used to make several types of sausage.
Christmas is also traditionally marked by a folk custom called koleduvane: between midnight and dawn on Christmas eve, koledari (groups of men who are bachelors, engaged or recently married) call at all houses in the settlement to sing special Christmas songs, wishing the hosts health, happiness and a bountiful harvest, and are presented with expressly baked Christmas crullers, cash and various food items.
On Christmas Day Bulgarians typically visit friends and relatives and go to church. The Christmas holidays end with the Feast of St. Stephen which is celebrated on December 27. The Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen was the eldest of the seven deacons, appointed by the Apostles themselves, which is why he is called “archdeacon”. He was the first Christian martyr, and he suffered for Christ when he was about thirty. Christmas Celebrations Start in Bulgaria 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-24 09:01:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
