Bulgarian Customs

I recently spent three weeks in Bulgaria. While it is a popular vacation spot, particularly the Black Sea coast, I was there to get a new visa in order to re-enter Russia. When one changes the type of visa (as I was changing from student to commercial) one must leave the country in order to receive the new visa. My student visa ended June 30, and my commercial invitation would not be ready until the 2nd week of July, so I had to leave Russia for a while. I’m very fortunate to have a good friend in Moscow, Nick, who is from Sofia, and who welcomed me to visit his family, as he is spending the summer there. I had a great time with them.

I also have another Bulgarian friend in Moscow, Peter, who was getting married during this time in his hometown in Bulgaria, called Montana, by the way, honest. His wife, Lena, is Russian; they had already married last year in Russia, but this event was for his family and friends in Bulgaria. I was very honored to be invited to their wedding (and Nick was the best man). Not speaking much Bulgarian, I had some trouble following what was going on, but I will try to describe the wedding customs.

Initially there was some debate how to start the wedding, because usually the groom has to visit the bride’s family and buy her from them. Since the bride’s family was not in attendance, they decided they would invoke another custom, where the bride and groom disappear before the wedding, and everyone is left to wonder where they are, what is going on, and then the best man eventually turns up with them. There was a particular wedding dance that was done when they returned, and was repeated about once every hour (from 5pm to midnight). At the reception there was a small carpet covered with roses that the groom carries the bride over; the best man and maid-of-honor then roll up the carpet and present it to the happy couple. There are of course the toasts and various first dances. The custom of gifts is interesting; later in the reception, the bride and groom visit each table to greet all of the guests, clink glasses, and receive their gifts. The best man, maid-of-honor, and family follow after the couple also greeting the guests and clinking glasses, as well as collecting the gifts as they are passed back by the happy couple. Unlike in America, the happy couple must stay at the reception until the very end.