Our Easter started on Friday with the buying of the eggs. They cost 18 Stotinki each or a double Yoker for 26. Had to queue as there was a delivery, there were the usual rows with queue jumpers, even the Bulgarians don't like them. :Hair:

Saturday: Hard boiling the eggs and decorating in different colours, oh and drinking beer. Having lunch and general fun.

Sunday: BBQ with Pork steaks no lamb as it was too expensive. We usually go to a Village a few miles away but the guy that the kills the sheep was working so cancelled. So this year we just had a family gathering (Bulgarian family) eating salad and meat and Easter bread, oh and drank beer. Had a great time and have not laughed so much in many a moon.

You've mentioned some of the traditions-the lamb meat-roasted and in soup, lots of dyed eggs, an Easter cake, we also showed the how we hide eggs and then played the Easter egg hunt which I'm not sure they fully understood but they did enjoy the cadbury's eggs they found around the garden. eggs, We had loads to drink we all danced and then later on we had a BBQ which went on well into the early hours all in all it was fantastic and much better than how we did it in dear old blighty.

Here in Turkey at Altinkum on the beautiful beach, we had an Easter Egg competition and an Easter Bonnet competition, hundreds of Expats and some Turkish children scattered about enjoying themselves, then came the Egg and Spoon Race and the Sack Race and then a Treasure Hunt. A good afternoon was had by all in the blazing sun!! Turkish businesses donated prizes for the competitions, so it was a multi-cultural event, rather like being in the UK!!

I went to the children's egg painting competition held in the Community Hall. I had a small part in it by printing the posters and certificates because the Community printer had broken down. That was quite a marathon as my old printer went on the blink in the middle of the operation. However, the Mayor and lady organiser were so patient that I didn't get into my usual computer flap! I took some lovely photos and the children all enjoyed themselves. They didn't get eggs (probably too expensive) but were thrilled with the certificates which they can keep and the little decorative chickens they received.
On Sunday we were collected by TV7 to go to Hotnitsa where there were Papas going through all the church traditions and giving the local choir ladies and others taking part in various interviews the traditional Easter bread and hardboiled coloured eggs. Our interview was centred on the Royal Wedding! It was live so will never know how it came out.
Then we were driven home and we enjoyed the excursion to places we hadn't seen before.
In the evening I cooked a leg of lamb with Spring greens, roast potatoes, gravy and fresh mint sauce. Not very Bulgarian but much enjoyed as it was such a treat to have lamb.
We always have more eggs from our hens than we need and the villagers were well pleased with the ones we provided. They are always scarce at this time of year with all the baking and egg painting! I tried to dye mine but I bought tablets of colour thinking they would be less messy but the colour was very poor. Shame. Never mind there will be next year! The weather was absolutely beautiful.

I have been here 3 weeks now and have enjoyed my first Easter, I had a go at dying the eggs and was so pleased with the way they turned out.

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I took them to the village bar and shared them out, one of the Bulgarians had me smashing the top of his egg with mine and because I won, he told me I have to keep my egg until next Easter. Not sure if he is winding me up or not. lol
We had a lovely meal with friends at Anna and Alan's bar in Dobrich Village and on the whole we had a lovely first Easter in Bulgaria.

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I took them to the village bar and shared them out, one of the Bulgarians had me smashing the top of his egg with mine and because I won, he told me I have to keep my egg until next Easter. Not sure if he is winding me up or not. lol
We had a lovely meal with friends at Anna and Alan's bar in Dobrich Village and on the whole we had a lovely first Easter in Bulgaria.

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That is the tradition. So keep it and watch their faces when you bring it out next year.

In the Netherlands we have lots of boiled or chocolate eggs which are brightly colored and beautifully decorated and hidden around the house or garden, the kids are then let out on an Easter egg hunt., the winner of the egg hunt is awarded with a large chocolate model of a hare or a basket of Easter treats, this is a popular Easter game, known as Eiertikken, is held in the Netherlands wherein people knock the eggs together to judge who breaks the eggs first. We have a large variety of seasonal and luxurious breakfast, brunch and lunch delicacies are prepared. Some of the traditional dishes include boiled, poached or fried eggs;
paasstol (a rich loaf of bread filled with raisins, nuts and marzipan) butter made into the shape of a lamb;
butter flavored with herbs, bread, croissants, cheese, ham, shrimps, smoked fish, mainly salmon or eel, and chocolates in the shape of eggs or hares. The main course we had lamb, which is considered as a symbol if death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the rural areas in the northern and eastern parts of the Netherlands we also light large Easter bonfires, known as paasvuren, at some high point. In fact, the celebrations are incomplete without a bonfire. Competitions are also held amongst the people to light the biggest bonfire. On the day, people wish each other Prettige Paasdagen or Happy Easter to everyone they meet no matter who they are and even if you have fallen out with them.

over the weekend our elderly bulgarian neighbours came over with 10 painted eggs, a cake and pickled onions, bless them they can hardly walk without help. they try to include us in any bulgarian traditions, they invite us to all family celebrations despite not speaking any english they insist on being part of all celebrations, i have never met people with so little who will share so much, makes one feel so humble.