Fairytales of Life

The Traditional Bulgarian Wedding

A Modern Tale of Magic and Myths

“Marriage is the main goal/theme in many Bulgarian tales, and the main characters are those who are ready to get married. The traditional Bulgarian wedding is almost mythic in action, and rich in symbolism. It provides the key to several enigmatic elements in these stories.

Bulgarian wedding rituals are concerned with ensuring a successful and fertile marriage. During the wedding period, the bride and groom are at the centre of the cosmic drama of creation that has been enacted over and over again since the beginning of time. The young couple are imbued with a special life-giving power that bestows blessings and fertility upon the whole community, guaranteeing the future. The consummation of the marriage on the wedding day becomes an act of magic.

Symbolism of the Wedding Banner

The wedding banner consists of a flag attached to a pole that has been ritually cut from a tree. The banner is topped with a red or gold foil-wrapped apple symbolising the sun and fertility, and decorated with flowers, ivy, strings of popcorn and chilli peppers. In some areas, the bride and the groom have a separate banner, with a white flag for the bride and a red flag for the groom. In other areas the groom’s family prepare a single banner with both red and white flags upon it.

Braiding and Shaving Rituals: the Comb and Razor as Magical Objects

On the night or the morning before the wedding itself, two important rituals take place. The bride’s hair is braided and the groom is shaved at their respective homes. Both rituals are accompanied by special songs and ceremony. After the wedding, the bride will not appear again in public with her head bare or with her hair loose like a wild samodiva. She will always wear a headscarf. The groom is no longer a boy, but a man ready to take on responsibility. The hair is tamed; the wild years of youth will be put aside and a new life will begin.

In the language of fairy tale the comb and the razor, the tools of braiding and shaving, become symbols of initiation into sexual maturity. They take on magical transforming properties and represent the transition from one stage of life to another.”

For the full text and the rest of the photos visit:

Photo source: http://vassilnikolov.com/ or Facebook album
Text Source: http://www.spellintime.fsnet.co.uk/Folklore.htm