Every year, the chitalishte (community culture club) in the village of Kralevo not far from Targovishte, re-enacts Bulgarian traditions and rituals, organizing contests such as “Master lyutenitsa-maker” and “From granny’s dresser”. And for the third year running, it brought people from all parts of the country to the village for a contest which breathes life into some of Bulgaria’s best loved characters connected with Bulgarian martenitsas – Pizho and Penda.

According to legend, the young lad and the lass really did exist and lived in what are the Bulgarian lands of today. Pizho was a handsome young man, modest and very hard working. He had a kind heart and was always ready to help, but because he was constantly working, his cheeks were always flushed. Penda lived in the same village – the most beautiful lass in these parts. She had black hair and her skin was as white as snow. Soon the two young people fell in love and their love was so strong, so sincere and pure that people decided to capture their images for posterity. That was how the white bride and the red groom were born, made of red-and-white thread, forever bound to one another.

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The management of the Probuda-1928 chitalishte in Kralevo recently decided to revive the legend, taking a look at the traditional martenitsas from a different angle. That was how the idea was born to hold a national photo contest for the “most original living Pizho and Penda”. The participants – a girl and a boy – had to make their Pizho and Penda costumes themselves, put them on, and take a photograph.

"It was my idea,” says Mariela Alieva, secretary at the chitalishte, and adds she wanted to do something “unorthodox, interesting and creative”, and later, together with the chair of the culture house in Kralevo, Emine Selimova, decided the subject of the contest should have to do with martenitsas.

“Even though we announced what the subject was a little late, we still had a lot of participants – around 60 couples from almost all parts of Bulgaria – Pleven, Bourgas, Dimitrovgrad, Targovishte, Razgrad and many more. We had photographs from kindergartens, schools, chitalishta. We even received some personal photographs sent by parents, and also of whole school classes, dressed up as Pizho and Penda couples.

All photographs were really nice, the children really had made an effort to step into the role of Pizho and Penda. Of course, there were some that stood out. You take a look at the photo and you say to yourself: They really do look like Pizho and Penda!”

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The organizers divided the photographs into 4 categories: the most original, the most photogenic, the most authentic and the best liked. Daria Lazarova and Georgi Lazarov from the chitalishte in the village of Lozen, Strazhitsa municipality, won the hearts of the public, with 1,400 likes and more than 80 comments under their photo. A total of 15 couples received awards; those who did not can try again next year. Pizho and Penda are so much fun, Mariela Alieva says, and they stimulate creativity:

“Why make martenitsas all the time? Why not a living martenitsa? I think we had a really good contest, and I hope to have Bulgarians living abroad take part next year, so that from national the contest will become international.”

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos: Probuda-1928 chitalishte, Kralevo village