With the collapse of Communism, several ideological holidays have disappeared from the Bulgarian calendar to be replaced by traditional Orthodox festivals such as Easter and Christmas. In addition, there's an increasing observance of local festivals and saints' days, marked by the holding of special services, feasting, or simply by lighting candles next to an icon of the appropriate saint. Though traditional folk customs are still observed by many people, when it comes to entertainment tastes are much the same as in the West
Festivals
In Communist times virtually all
festivals
were organized and funded by the state under the auspices of the Party, and "unofficial" events such as religious pilgrimages were firmly discouraged. Today, there are almost no ideological...
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National holidays and specific events
You'll find shops, banks and restaurants closed on major
national holidays
, although the occasional café, exchange bureau or provision shop may open up in big cities or resorts.
Jan 1
New Year's Day
March 3
...
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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...
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Entertainment
Most Bulgarians have little spare money, and the range of
entertainment
on offer reflects this. Thanks to past state subsidies most provincial towns have a
theatre
and most big cities an
opera house
, but their...
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