Bulgarian Tradition - "St. Lazarus"
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Lazarki |
Lazarki | |
St. Lazarus or Lazar is Christian holiday. It is called like this because this name is a symbol of health and longevity. St. Lazarus' Day is celebrated on the eighth day before Easter. Because Easter is determined by the lunar calendar and not by the sun one’s, Lazar falls each year on a different date, but always on Saturday.
By tradition on this day are picked green willow branches that will adorn the doorsthe next day - Palm Sunday. Young women gather flowers and weave them into a garland. The young girls called "lazarki" get together at the home of one of them. The beautiful girls, dressed in traditional folklore costumes and all decorated with flowers, walk around the villages and visit the houses, singing songs and blessing for health, happiness and prosperity. The master of the house gives them eggs, fruits and other small gifts. In the past, on the day of St. Lazarus, the young men got used to ask their fiancee to marry them.
The arrival of the spring brings holiday spirit and it is expected not only by participants but also by guests and inhabitantsof the villages and towns. It is believed that a girl that has not performed this ritual can not marry. Therefore it is mandatory every girl from the village to practice this rite.
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