Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Carol singers in Bulgaria's Yambоl not only sing blessings, but also dance the buenek

Photo: Daniela Kostova, BNR correspondent in Yambol

In Yambol, a large Christmas carolling festival is traditionally organized on December 25, in which dozens of caroling groups (koledari) sing and dance.

Only in Yambol the carollers not only sing and bless, but also dance.
The Yambol Christmas buenek dance was born more than a century ago in the oldest district of the town, Kargon. At that time, there were cavalry troops in the Yambol garrison. The caroling boys liked their clothes and begin to imitate them, says ethnographer Dinka Angelova:
"The Yambol carollers, while they were going from house to house on the evening of Christmas Eve before Christmas, began to stamp their feet - firstly to warm themselves and secondly so that the young maidens could hear that their chosen ones would visit their house."

The spurred boots, the military breeches and the saber carried by the leader of the carollers, the exuberant Christmas dancing and carolling can be seen and heard on today's festive day in Yambol.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Esther Willems - choreographer from The Hague who believes that the Bulgarian soul is encoded in the dances

The Hague, a city in the south of the Netherlands, the administrative centre and the place where the Queen lives and works...  Hardly anyone associates this city with Bulgarian folklore and traditions. But the fact is that the interest in..

published on 7/4/24 8:12 PM

With the magic of the horo dance in Razlog

On June 28 and 29th, the city of Razlog, in the region of Blagoevgrad, will present the magic of Bulgarian folklore. In these days, the XIII Festival of traditional horo dance will be held on the central square "Preobrazhenie".  The..

published on 6/28/24 8:25 AM

Midsummer herbs and water have magical powers

Early in the morning, young men and women gather in the meadows to play with the sun. "It is believed that the sun dances and shimmers on Enyovden at sunrise, because it is the longest solstice of the year". This is the most important thing to know about..

published on 6/24/24 7:00 AM