Palm Sunday, Tsvetnitsa in Bulgarian (the word comes from tsvete, flower) is a Christian holiday loved and looked forward to by many, commemorating the Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a moveable feast, always falling on the Sunday preceding Easter.
On this day, as he enters the holy city Christ is welcomed by the crowd with palm, olive and laurel branches, hence the name Palm Sunday, or Tsvetnitsa or Vrabnitsa (from varba, willow) in Christian Orthodoxy. The willow twigs are blessed in church, and then taken home for health.
People who observe Lent are allowed fish. The following day marks the start of Holy Week - the last days in the life of Jesus Christ when he takes upon himself all sins of the human race to redeem them.
The religious symbols and rituals aside, Palm Sunday is also a very personal day for all Bulgarians with names meaning flowers. In this country, there are more than 360,000 people who will be celebrating their name day today with friends and family, and wishing one another health and prosperity.
Compiled by Yoan Kolev
Translated from the Bulgarian and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: BTA, BGNES
Bulgaria is blessed with a number of picturesque locations scattered across the country. One of them is the Rupite area at the foot of an extinct volcano, not far from the town of Petrich in southwestern Bulgaria. The area has been known..
The Day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Petrovden in Bulgarian) is a holiday much revered by Bulgarians. In Bulgarian folk tradition, it symbolizes the rise of nature and life at the beginning of the real summer, which in Bulgaria usually begins..
The old central part of Bansko is full of history. In recent decades, the beautiful mountain town has become a popular resort and festival center. It keeps the memory of the Bulgarian National Revival, the development of Bulgarian education,..
+359 2 9336 661