Ludogorie Association in Razgrad is to apply for the Guinness Book of Records for most crowded authentic wedding and the longest wedding table. The event will take place at the Fourth National Folklore Fair Lodogorie which is to be held between July 3 and 5 in Pchelina locality near Razgrad. On the third day of the fair the guests will participate at a re-enactment of a wedding ritual from the 19^th century. The good news was brought by the Chairman of the association Valentin Dimov:

“We intend to present each year an authentic wedding from a different ethnographic region and give all Bulgarians the opportunity to come and sit on the wedding table with the married couple. Last year we re-enacted a wedding from the popular Bulgarian Movie Time of Violence (Vreme Razdelno) also known as Manol’s Nine Brothers. We witnessed the marriage of Victoria and Denislav who pledged one another a life-long love and devotion. With this ritual in the Rhodope region we made a Balkan record - a total of 1,520 people sat on a 640 meter-long wedding table. After the event many Bulgarians and foreigners contacted us to book a seat at the next wedding, which made us believe that we can now apply for the Guinness Book of Records.”

The organizers are to choose a married couple from the ethnographic region that hosts the event. This year Stoyka and Rossen from Nova Zagora and Stara Zagora (both towns situated in the heart of the Thracian Valley, Central South Bulgaria) will be the lucky ones. Their wedding will revive a ritual which existed in the Thracian region some 100 years ago. Twelve groups for authentic folklore are to take part at the event. “We chose the group comprised of the oldest grannies, because they keep a fresh memory of the ancient traditions”, Valentin Dimov pointed out. “The preparation of the forthcoming event has already started. A total of 4,000 clay bowls, 4,000 wooden spoons and 25 lambs were ordered for the wedding. The organizers are to make the meal in the biggest Giant Tray and Giant Pan. The guests will be welcomed with 600 pita breads 9round loaves), 600 kilograms of white-brine cheese, 2 tons of foamy wine, which is to be kept in 8 wooden barrels placed around the tables, each one with a total length of 120 meters.

“We are to attend a real feast. Last year 120 folklore groups from all across Bulgaria attended the wedding and we are expecting their presence this year, too. May people open their grannies’ chests and dress in folk costumes before they join the wedding”, Valentin Dimov said and added:

“We will continue this tradition. Next year we are to present an authentic Kapanska wedding from the Northeastern region. However, I would like to note that everyone who likes to sit on the wedding table together with the married couple must wear a Bulgarian folk costume. Our aim is to record this crowded event and leave it to our children and the future generations, so they can all feel the old Bulgarian traditions. The jump back in time will help us write the Bulgarian history further on.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov