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The days preceding the Orthodox Easter are brightened with smiles and cheerful atmosphere around the world. Students from several Sunday schools abroad have recreated the national traditions and customs associated with the preparation for Easter, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday.
"May health, joy, happiness and love enter the homes of each of us!", the members of the Bulgarian Sunday School Roden Krai in New Jersey (USA) wished as they made wreaths from willow branches.
The girls from the Bulgarian School St.St. Cyril and Methodius in Los Angeles created a truly magic atmosphere. They were dressed in national folk costumes and wore hair wreaths. Together with their parents and teachers, they took to the streets of the City of Angels and sang songs dedicated to Lazarus Saturday. Later, they sang and danced for health and prosperity in the house of their host, Maria Ivanova, who in turn treated them with delicious pita bread and gave them eggs to dye for Easter. In the spirit of old traditions, the girls also went to the river to throw flower wreaths into the water. Finally, they swung on a pre-decorated swing.
"Lazarki (girls performing the ritual dedicated to Lazarus Saturday) came to our school too! They danced and sent wishes for sound health and prosperity. They went from home to home and greeted the owners, who in turn gave them bread and eggs, as is the tradition. Our high school students acquainted our younger students with the custom. Later, everyone danced a horo chain dance. We also celebrated Palm Sunday (Tsvetnitsa). We had a wonderful time together with our big school family, representatives of the Hristo Botev Bulgarian School in New York said.
The 15th annual concert of the Bulgarian School "Narodni Buditeli" in Paralimni (Cyprus) was held on Lazarus Saturday. The event took place in the amphitheater of the Xenion High School in the presence of representatives from local and state institutions, official guests from Bulgaria and representatives of the Bulgarian community in Cyprus. The celebration continued with a festive procession to the central town square, where all Bulgarian dance ensembles from Cyprus held a concert entitled "Lazaritsa".
The last class at the St. Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian School in Luton (United Kingdom) was filled with the scent of spring. ''The bright Bulgarian holidays have begun. We are trying to recreate them, although partly, and tell our children about them. Along with the important and serious lessons, we also had time for folklore, traditions and customs'', the St. Kliment Ohridski School wrote on Facebook.
We express our gratitude for the shared emotion and send wishes for more lively holidays filled with patriotism and excitement, because Bulgarian traditions revive and unite us!
Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov
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