Trifon Zarezan: Traditions And Customs

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Trifon's Day is one of the many holidays in the traditional calendar that show the symbiosis between traditions from different historical epochs and church beliefs.

In the church calendar St. Tryphon is a martyr who died for the church faith in the third century, and in folklore Tryphon Zarezan is a slightly different image.

There is a legend that says that when the Holy Mother of God was walking on the road with the Infant in her arms, she met Tryphon, who mocked her for carrying an illegal child. Then the Holy Mother of God went to Tryphon's wife and told her to take a towel and run to the vineyard, because Tryphon had cut off his nose.

The woman became worried, ran away, found her husband and told him what had happened to the Mother of God. He laughed and said: Now I will show you how to cut the vineyard. He swung his kosher and really cut off his nose.

This is a clear example of mixing Christian and folk beliefs. So that Tryphon lives his life in his various images among the Bulgarian population.

It is important to know that this holiday is a men's holiday, so the activities of men and women are strictly distinguished. The woman stays at home. She is the one who guards and preserves the home. That is why she kneads the ritual breads, prepares the table.

Boil or roast chicken with bulgur or rice. This is not accidental. These are the nipples that swell, and it is the wish that everything swells and has prosperity throughout the year.

The hostess does not wash her hands after kneading the breads, the dough remains on her hands to swell again with wishes for well-being, prosperity and wealth throughout the year. She fills the jug with wine and prepares all this food for the table, puts it in a new bag and sends her husband to the end of the village at most. From there is the wild space, which is the space of man.

The vinedressers go to the vineyard and drop it. They cut three bouquets with three sticks each, sprinkle them with holy water and ashes from the Christmas tree, which has been collected and preserved since Christmas Eve. In some places it is watered with wine, and from the cut sticks a wreath is made, which the owner of the vineyards puts on his hat. Then there is a large common table, which says that no one should go home sober, because it will not be a good omen for the home, family, vines and fields.

The people have said: After the abandonment comes the cutting!

The holiday also has local features. To Trifon Zarezan in Northern Bulgaria, the King of the Vineyards is elected, who is an extremely revered man or man who has made the best wine, as well as the richest in the village. Other people carry him in their arms or in a chariot, asking him for advice all year round. Along the way he blesses.

This procession goes around all the houses, as the hosts water the king's hands with wine to have a rich harvest.

Some people think that the first person you meet on the street, the better your luck during the year.

Even today in many villages around the country these customs are preserved and continue to be respected. Trifonovden is an important holiday from our calendar and shows that the spirit of Dionysius is still alive in our lands - the god of fertility, joy and wine.