Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Wine - a breath of love and the past

Photo: BGNES

While the Western world today pays homage to St. Valentine, in Bulgaria we have the opportunity to make a choice in our festive mood and raise a toast to our love of …wine.

Grapes and wine are very closely related to the folk beliefs and customs of Bulgarians. The red elixir is part and parcel of Bulgarians traditions related to all important events in a person's life path - from birth, wedding to death. That is why the ritual which marks the beginning of the cutting of the vineyards and their preparation for the next harvest is still practiced today in all parts of this country.

The first pruning of the vines is done on the day when we honour St. Tryphon. And although today the Orthodox Church does this on February 1st, the majority of people continue to celebrate the date of February 14th in the old style calendar as the Feast of Vine and Wine known here as Trifon Zarezan (Trifon the Pruner).

You can read more about the traditional notions of wine in Bulgarian folklore, the holidays related to wine and the prohibitions related to the cycle of its production in the publication "Fifty heroes are drinking wine" from Radio Bulgaria’s Best collection.

Edited by Vesela Krasteva

English version Rositsa Petcova



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Palm Sunday and the beauty of spring

Palm Sunday, Tsvetnitsa in Bulgarian (the word comes from tsvete , flower) is a Christian holiday loved and looked forward to by many, commemorating the Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a moveable feast, always falling on..

published on 4/9/23 5:55 AM

Cheesefare Sunday reminds us of the meaning of forgiveness and Christ’s infinite love

Sunday after Mesni Zagovezni or Meat Shrovetide is the last day on which everyone who decides to follow the Great Lent according to the Orthodox calendar can eat dairy products, fish and eggs. Therefore, on Cheesefare Sunday before..

published on 2/26/23 8:00 AM
Maestro Diko Iliev meets with a military orchestra

Iskarsko Horo- Diko Iliev’s first horo

Diko Iliev- composer, conductor, a sui generis talent, a unique phenomenon in Bulgarian culture - authored dozens of marches, waltzes, horo chain dances, ruchenitsi and  brass band music . For decades, Diko Iliev’s Dunavsko Horo has been..

published on 2/17/23 6:05 AM