Seasonal Rites and Religious Festivals
Most traditional Bulgarian festivals relate to different stages of the agricultural year and are rooted in paganism, but the pantheon of Orthodox saints and holy days imparts a Christian framework to the seasonal calendar. Although the nearest most tourists get to this cycle of rural celebrations is a glimpse of festive costumes in museums, a surprising number of customs are still upheld and can be witnessed if you're in rural areas at the right time. Given that many are scheduled around Orthodox festivals , it's unfortunate for visitors that Bulgarians themselves are often confused over whether these should be dated by the Old or New Style calendar, and the rule varies from place to place for no apparent reason. To confuse things further, the major Islamic festivals observed by Bulgarian Muslims follow a separate calendar, but several popular feasts fall on Orthodox holy days and are attended by Christians as well.
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