Celebrations

Roasting Lamb on spit marks the beginning of the St. George celebration throughout Bulgaria on May 6th. While becoming more an more expensive option to celebrate this famous name day, the lamb is the vital centerpiece of the holiday much the turkey for Thanksgiving in America. Over a hundred years ago, name days served to celebrate birthdays of villagers that did not know their date of birth or have access to calendars. May 6th would have marked the birthdays of everyone names George and Georgiana.

Ties to Russia still run strong in the post-soviet bloc country Bulgaria. Recently, the Bulgarian government declared 2008 the year of Russia in celebration of the prolonged and maintained relationship to their slavic brothers. A WWII veteran here gives a speech to commemorate "Victory Day" when the Second World War ended. During the time of the Soviet Union in Bulgaria, this holiday was treated as a make-shift day of independence observed throughout the Soviet Bloc countries.