2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
On December 6 we honor St. Nikolay the Miracleworker. In addition to the thousands of birthdays, all fishermen, bankers, sailors and travelers celebrate today. St. Nicholas Day is a day that occupies a very important place in the Bulgarian holiday traditions. This is one of the biggest winter holidays.
According to folk beliefs, when the six holy brothers divided the world, all the waters fell on Nicholas. He was destined to walk on water, to lead ships, and to stop the wind in stormy seas.
The main festive dish at the festive table is fish, especially carp. The legend tells how the saint once entered the sea, but during a storm his boat was broken. He pulled a carp out of the sea and plugged the hole with it.
Photo: Vanya Georgieva
That is why carp are considered sacrificial fish on the table on this special day. Carp must be freshly caught and must be flaked. During cleaning, the housewife should be careful not to let the scales fall to the ground, because this portends trouble.
On St. Nicholas Day carp dishes are not ordinary. They are a ritual, a sacrifice to the saint and a hope for joy and well-being, gratitude for protection in adversity, a pure prayer for prosperity and health.
According to Bulgarian folklore, it is obligatory for the fish prepared for the holiday to be whole, because if it is torn, the luck of the family will also be torn.
On The St. Nicholas table traditionally there should be a fishpond - carp in batter and stuffed with rice, raisins and nuts. Traditionally, two ritual breads are prepared, which together with the fishpond must be consecrated in a church or at home, and the pieces of them are distributed to the neighbors.
A sacrifice is also prepared, which must be fish. The ritual cakes that women prepare today are known by the names St. Nicholas' cake, saint, Bogovitsa and God's bread.
Photo: Mariela Hristova
Another option for cooking carp is stuffed with bulgur, walnuts and raisins and baked in the oven. In addition to fish and bread, today's table includes beans, sarma, lean peppers with rice, corn and other lean dishes soaked in olive oil.
St. Nicholas Day table should not be raised throughout the day to be available to guests and hosts. The next day, the carp bones must be burned, buried in the ground or thrown into the river.
It is believed that this will increase fertility and preserve the well-being of the family. The parietal bone of the carp is preserved and sewn into the children's hats against evil eyes and lessons.
Today, eating fish is mandatory, and old people say that everyone should brush their teeth with fishbone, even taken from the trash. On St. Nicholas Day relatives and friends are invited, and the namesakes greet their guests with a heavy meal. The festivities continue until dawn.
The ritual of this day, among other things, has a wedding character. The girls they are about to marry go to church early in the morning. In the evening they dance in front of everyone, and the young people and their parents watch them from the sidelines and choose the future bride.
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