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The first hours of the New Year in Bulgaria begin with the custom of survakane - a group of children or young men going from house to house carrying a specially decorated stick called "survachka" and patting family members with it, expressing their best wishes for health and prosperity.

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Santa is also a part of the modern Christmas celebrations in Bulgaria. Here people call him ‘Dyado Koleda’ which means Grandfather Christmas and tell stories of their children about this good-hearted old fellow who comes in his slade and gives presents to the children but only to those who have been good throughout the year.

Many more stories could be told about Christmas in Bulgaria. But if you want to feel the unique atmosphere of this holiday and celebrate it like a real Bulgarian in front of a Christmas tree or Budnik eating pitka and sarmi, what you need to do is book a Christmas holiday in this lovely Balkan country as soon as possible. And if you happen to spend your next Christmas here don’t forget to wish to the locals you meet Vessela Koleda (Merry Christmas).

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For Christmas, Bulgarians also decorate Christmas trees. They usually put the tree inside their homes and place Christmas presents under it. Yet Some Bulgarians still have a traditional Christmas block called ‘Budnik’ which is brought to the house on Christmas eve.

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3. The traditional singing of the Koledari

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3. The traditional singing of the Koledari

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Another interesting Christmas custom is the singing of the Koledari. These are groups of men dressed in traditional clothing known as “nossia” who come to the houses and carol sing at the doors in the evening of Christmas. The songs are usually performed twice as one part of the men sings the song once, and then the others sing it again. Finally, the Koledari are given food as a reward.

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On Christmas Day, most families gather together again around the table for lunch or for dinner, but this time the menu includes meat. An important meal that day is banitsa a popular traditional Bulgarian type of borek which is prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs, natural yogurt, and pieces of white cheese.

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1. The special dinner of the Christmas Eve

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1. The special dinner of the Christmas Eve

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Here is why the evening of December 24th – Christmas Eve (« Budni Vecher » in Bulgarian) is also celebrated, usually with a family dinner. The meals that are served in that evening should be vegetarian. That’s why the Christmas eve menu includes beans soup, « sarmi » cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, peppers with rice, boiled wheat with sugar and walnuts, and different kinds of pastries.

Furthermore, the meals have always to be an odd number – 7, 9, or 11, as well as the guests invited to the family dinner. Another essential element of the dinner is the Pitka – a special round bread that contains a coin in it. If you find the coin, you’re going to be extremely lucky for the next year! The oldest person cuts the bread and hands a peace to each of the family members present at the dinner. After the end of the dinner, the food is left on the table until the next morning. The reason is the belief of most Bulgarians that the spirits of their deceased ancestors might come to the house in the night to have something to eat.