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What it's Like to Live in: Bulgaria

Monday, September 22, 2008

With beautiful beaches, golf courses and healthy spa facilities, Bulgaria is a great place for leisurely pursuits... but would you want to live there?

Traditional Bulgarian costumes - photo by Krissi AKA Kiki

Why Live There

Bulgaria is a small country blessed with ancient culture, scenic beauty and endless charm.

Situated in south-eastern Europe, it occupies the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, while its northern border with Romania passes along the Danube and its eastern border is the Black Sea.

One of Bulgaria's biggest assets is its tourism trade, with stunning coastlines, great golf courses and an incredible mountain range, making the country extremely popular all year round.

Bulgaria also has around 600 natural mineral springs, and the baths and health spas are frequented by locals and scores of international tourists. Although the facilities need to be updated, the spring water is rich in minerals and flows freely from a natural source.

Bulgaria is a country steeped in history and contains nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the ancient city of Nesebar, which is an eclectic mix of cultures, including Thracian, Greek and Roman, as well as being one of the most important centres of sea-borne trade in the Black Sea.

Weather Report

As Bulgaria has such a contrasting landscape, from the snow-capped peaks of the Balkan Mountains, to the sunny Black sea coast, the climate tends to be variable.

In general, the weather is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, particularly along the coast.

Food & Drink

Bulgarian cuisine is diverse as the country has an ideal climate and landscape to produce a large range of dairy products, wine, fruit, vegetables and herbs.

The cuisine is typically south-eastern European with strong Greek, Middle Eastern and Turkish influences and on a much smaller scale, Hungarian, Italian and Mediterranean.

Traditionally the main meal usually consists of lamb or pork, either grilled or skewered. Moussaka is a very popular dish, which is made with mince meat, potatoes, onions and yoghurt.

A pastry with syrup and nut filling called baklava or pumpkin banitsa are the main choices for desert, which is regularly served with either espresso or Turkish style coffee.

Greetings & Gestures

When meeting someone, Bulgarians usually shake hands. Formal greetings include Zdravaite ("hello") or Kak ste? ("How are you?").

When parting, it is common to say Do vizhdana ("Till I see you again"). Friends might also say Vsichko hubavo ("All the best") or Ciao ("Goodbye"), while female friends might kiss each other on the cheek when meeting and leaving.

Friends and neighbours commonly drop by for a short visit without prior arrangement and Bulgarians often arrange dinner parties with friends and family. It is considered impolite to leave too early.

Bulgarians take pride in being hospitable and in some homes, guests are expected to remove their shoes upon entering, and slippers are provided.

Dating & Marriage

The average age for women to marry is between 18 and 25, whereas men tend to be older when they decide to tie the knot.

A church wedding often follows the legal civil ceremony, which is then topped off with a large reception, which normally involves folk music and dancing.

Wedding traditions include pinning money on the bride's dress to represent future prosperity, the groom serenading the bride at her home and the couple pulling on opposite ends of a loaf of bread-whoever gets the largest piece will be the boss of the family.

Another wedding superstition is the bride tossing a dish filled with wheat, coins and raw eggs over her head. If the dish breaks then she will be blessed with good luck.

Weird & Wonderful

Nestinarstvo is an ancient custom of pagan and Eastern Orthodox origins, which is performed on the day of each village's patron saint.

The tradition is still alive in a handful of villages in the Strandzha Mountains in the southeast of Bulgaria, where the custom originated.

On the day of Nestinarstvo, villagers would follow the leader of the ritual, called the head Nestinar, until they reached a holy spring, where they would eat an offering of mutton.

After sundown, the locals would perform a traditional dance to the sound of a sacred drum around a large fire until the flames faded and then they would prance barefoot on the hot glowing embers, their feet protected by their trance-like state.

Conclusion

Bulgaria has preserved its tradition and embraced modern times by brilliantly balancing ancient values with new ideas, making it a country that offers something for everyone.

Search for property in Bulgaria

To browse for property for sale in Bulgaria, why not check out TheMoveChannel.com Bulgaria, which has a large number of listings from Bulgarian estate agents and developers selling properties in the area: http://bulgaria.themovechannel.com/

No Derivative Works. You may not alter, transform, or build upon the photo image.

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