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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Bulgaria Series at BulgarianPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Bulgarian holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 11- Mother's Day |
| Like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or in Bulgarian, Denyat na maykata, is also celebrated in Bulgaria, but again different dates are considered “correct,” or pravilni, for showing respect to mothers in Bulgaria. |
| In this lesson we’ll discuss Mother’s Day on March 25. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, I've got a question for you- |
| Do you know which other date is considered to be Mother’s Day? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later, so keep listening! |
| Mother’s Day in Bulgaria is celebrated on March 25, because this date is the Christian holiday of “the Annunciation,” or Blagoveshtenie. More specifically, this is the Christian celebration of the woman and the mother, because on this day, the Holy Mother received the “good news,” or redostnata vest, that she would be the mother of the son of God, Jesus Christ. “The Bible,” or Bibliyata, says that on this day, the Archangel Gabriel descended and told the Holy Virgin Mary the good news. |
| The word Blagoveshtenie is comprised of the words blago, which is an archaic form meaning “good” or “nice,” and veshtenie, which can be translated with the contemporary Bulgarian word vest, meaning “news.” Po tazi prichina or “for this reason,” on this day people named Blago, Blaga, Blagovest, Blagovesta, and so on have a name-day. The Blagoveshtenie feast is also called Blagovets. |
| Since this feast has a Christian “origin,” or proizhod, it is understandable that it is celebrated differently in different families. It had been honored as Mother’s Day before the 1950s and was naturally forgotten after that because of the communist regime. Nowadays it has again become a main holiday, honoring the mother as the giver of life. Often, flowers are given as presents as they symbolize “hope for a new life,” or simvolizirat nadezhda. |
| Blagoveshtenie is during the Great Lent, but as an “exception,” or po izklyuchenie, people are permitted to eat fish with rice, called ribnik, on this day. The feast coincides with the beginning of spring and that is why green vegetables such as “spinach,” or in Bulgarian spanak, and “nettles,” or kopriva, are prepared. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know which other date is considered to be Mother’s Day? |
| A more popular day is considered Mother’s Day too. This is, naturally, Women’s Day. Despite this, March 25 is a day especially for mothers, because of the biblical news that the Virgin Mary would be the mother of the Savior. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? |
| Do you celebrate Mother’s Day and Women’s Day, and when? |
| Leave us a comment letting us know at BulgarianPod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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