Bulgarian Trivia

No photos today folks!  Instead, you get some tidbits about Bulgarian culture that I've been accumulating over the past few months.

Did you know....

To indicate "no" with a head gesture, Bulgarians nod their head up to down once.  (Like the way Americans say "yes.")  You can imagine how thoroughly confusing this is...especially when they realize I'm an American and try to do it my way but don't tell me!  Or when they don't know I'm an American and I fervently nod yes, and they think I mean no!  Rumor has it this tradition began when the Turks enslaved the Bulgarians and the nod no was a way to take one's own life as a sword was at one's throat.

To indicate "yes" with a head gesture, Bulgarians do what we call the head bobble.  They nod, but from ear to shoulder rather than chin to chest as we do.  

Superstition says NEVER put your purse on the floor - apparently if you don't treat your money with respect you are destined to lose it.  Women will pick up someone else's bag and place it on a chair, table, or hook rather than leave it on the floor.

When eating out with others you eat when your food arrives at the table, even if you are eating alone. 

"Marsh" is an imperative command word that loosely translates to "Do it now!"

Many Bulgarians fast from meat for 40 days before Christmas, culminating in a meat-free Christmas Eve dinner that must consist of an odd number of courses, usually 7, 9, or 11.  They do not clear the table after dinner, leaving the left-overs and dirty dishes for the next day so that the ghosts of ancestors can come eat in the night.

Bulgarians celebrate both their birthdays and their name days.  As opposed to Americans, who expect everyone to bring us presents and cake, in Bulgaria, the responsibility to celebrate falls on the birthday boy or girl.  On either day, the celebrant brings in chocolates to share with all their peers.  They also frequently celebrate events like the birth of a grandchild or acceptance into college by bringing in chocolates to share.

Like many cultures, Bulgarians have adopted words into their lexicon from other languages.  Though they have their own words (blogodarya and dovishdanae) for thank you and goodbye, commonly you will hear merci and ciao-ciao.  

That's all for now...there are some fun holidays and customs coming up in the spring, so a follow-up to this post will appear in a few weeks.  Watch soon for photos of Sofia, ACS, and Budapest at Christmas!  Happy Holidays!