Once upon a time, the Bulgarian woman used to make her own clothes, choosing the materials, colours and elements, and the apron was a kind of a “introduction card”. It could be used to tell which place the woman was from, how wealthy she was, whether she was a widow or looking for marriage. And the colour of the apron even could reveal the age of its owner.
The types of traditional Bulgarian aprons strike with their variety – special ones for bachelorettes and brides, worn one year after the wedding, worn until the birth of the first child, for widows, etc. They are decorated with beads, coins, tassels, lace and each element on them has its own symbolism and meaning.
Toma Belev reveals about the vast world of this part of the traditional Bulgarian clothing and about his collection of over 300 traditional aprons in the publication of Radio Bulgaria Toma Belev’s magnificent collection of 19th-20th century aprons.
Editor: Dessislava Semkovska
“He who wants to be first amongst you, let him be the servant of all.” According to legend, that was the advice St. Ivan of Rila gave Tsar Peter while politely declining the royal gifts he had brought. The hermit monk set a personal example – tearing..
Bulgaria is blessed with a number of picturesque locations scattered across the country. One of them is the Rupite area at the foot of an extinct volcano, not far from the town of Petrich in southwestern Bulgaria. The area has been known..
The Day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Petrovden in Bulgarian) is a holiday much revered by Bulgarians. In Bulgarian folk tradition, it symbolizes the rise of nature and life at the beginning of the real summer, which in Bulgaria usually begins..
sunshine, cloud, rain and thunder
Clear
Partly Cloudy
Partly cloudy, chance of rain