Learn all about Palm Sunday
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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 15 - Palm Sunday. |
| In Bulgaria, in line with the Christian tradition, people celebrate the day Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. This day is also the name-day of all people named after flowers, trees and plants. It is called Tsvetnitsa, or Palm Sunday, and is celebrated on the Sunday before Easter. |
| In this lesson we’ll tell you “in detail,” or in Bulgarian po-podrobno, about Tsvetnitsa or, as it is also popularly known, Vrabnitsa. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, I've got a question for you- |
| Do you know which custom is carried out on Tsvetnitsa? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later, so keep listening! |
| Tradition in Bulgaria requires the celebration of Palm Sunday on the Sunday before the Passion Week. The Bible says that exactly “one week,” or in Bulgarian tochno edna sedmitsa, before the Resurrection, on the Sunday Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem, a crowd of believers welcomed him and threw “palm sprigs,” or palmovi klonki, at his feet. |
| Jesus Christ being welcomed with flowers transfers into folk tradition as a day of celebrating “flowers and plants,” or rasteniya, in general. On this day, people go to church carrying flowers for consecrating and blessing. The most popular plant is the willow sprig. This is the reason for the holiday’s other name, Vrabnitsa. Willow sprigs, or varbovite klonki, are symbolic of the palm sprigs Jesus Christ was welcomed with this day. |
| Willow sprigs are blessed and given to the worshipers in the churches and then brought home for the decoration of the front door or home icons. Thus at Tsvetnitsa every home is adorned with willow. It is thought that the willow sprigs “protect,” or in Bulgarian predpazvat, the home from evil forces and diseases and bring health and happiness. Tsvetnitsa is a holiday of flowers, revival, and youth. |
| Tsvetnitsa is most of all a name day. There are many Bulgarian names related to flowers and plants, like Tsvetan, Tsvetomir, Tsvetelina, Bozhura, Violeta, Nevena, Varban, Liliya, Zdravko, Yavor, Yasen, Iva and many others. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know which custom is carried out on Tsvetnitsa? |
| It’s a custom called kumichene. Girls gather by the river and everyone carries a venche, a wreath worn on the head, and a ceremonial bread. The wreaths and bread are placed in the river to float with the current, and the girls watch to see whose wreath will be first. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? |
| Do you celebrate Tsvetnitsa or a similar holiday for flowers and trees? |
| Leave a comment letting us know at BulgarianPod101.com, |
| and we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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