Just had the best Easter since we moved here. We have had a lot of good times here Easter and other occations but this one was the best.
Starting on Thursday when the egg lady delivered and we had arranged with our neighbours to paint them all together.
Eggs were cooking in the pans and every one got out their dyes and plastic gloves along with stickers and ribbons and any thing else they had to decorate their eggs The tables were all out in the garden and we decorated eggs chatting and singing along with the music for hours.
This turned into a party and the evening was spent with a very jolly group of our neighbours all Bulgarians.
Friday was bake and share day The fast over for lent and every one loaded the tables again and we had a day and another evening of being one big family.
Saturday was baking day although i had done a biggest batch of hot cross buns ever and we had them on Friday because we are mixing English traditions in with the Bulgarian traditions here.
So Saturday became a bake off with the Bulgarian fruit breads being mixed in the wooden trough like bowls and any oven that was available was baking. Merange nests with chocolate eggs and chocolate cornflake nests with chocolate eggs simnel cakes etc
Sunday we all walked to the local church we have been before and love it. At the church the Priest gave each one and blessing and we lit our candles and did our own thing in a magnificent church that needs its paintings restored but none the less the muriels on the walls are wonderful. The church is full of the fragrance of the flowers that adorn it.
When leaving the church we all collect flowers from the door way to bring home. A tradition upheld here in our town. Then home to share the abundance of eggs and breads and all the other food that every one filled the tables with again.
Eggs were cracked together by young and old some winning the game with eggs unbroken others with eggs in shatters. But all good fun.
We live opposite a school and the children we talk to when we are in the garden came round and were given eggs too and people passing wishing each other a happy Easter.
Monday evening we were invited to join in the name day held at the Roma village on the edge of our town The name day is for any one with a name beginning with G. George Galina Gospodin etc.
There seemed to be thousands of G names and every one had a wonderful time eating and drinking and dancing to music that played all evening.
I expect their were a good many sore heads the following morning!
This is the Bulgaria we fell in love with. We are not party animals nor drinkers but the sence of community the sharing the coming together of people with only one intention and that is to enjoy.
Their are many times through out the year we all get together and do things like this.
We all work hard all year with the mundane repairs and gardening and every day life but the sharing continues extra tomatoes in the garden come over the fence along with cucumbers and fruits and our extras go back across the fence too.
Baking days are often and when the ovens on an extra few pitza or loaves of bread are baked and shared with neighbours.
We hope you all enjoyed your Easter as we do and that community is stronge where ever you are in Bulgaria. Hope you haven't minded me sharing this with you all. Chrissy
Please forgive the spelling since learning Bulgarian i can not think easily or spell in English any more
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