Bulgaria. Feast of Tryphon the Slaughtered in Saint Vlas
In addition to the well-known Valentine's Day, today another holiday is celebrated - Tryfon Zarezan. They like to celebrate it especially magnificently in Bulgaria.
The holiday is dedicated to the glorification of Saint Tryphon, the patron saint of winemaking and vineyards. According to Bulgarian tradition, on February 14, villagers prune vines to get a rich harvest in the fall. That is why Saint Tryphon in Bulgaria is called Tryphon Zarezan (Cut).
They say that the origins of the holiday go back to the times of Roman festivals dedicated to the god of wine Dionysus. Then the Slavs came to the Balkans and adopted the traditions. The pagan Dionysus gave way to the Christian Tryphon, who was martyred in the Roman Empire in the 3rd century.
According to legend, on the day of the saint’s execution, insects attacked all the vineyards of the country and the winegrowers called on the king to cancel the execution, and Tryphon to help them. He was unable to exterminate the insects, but he cut the vines and thus saved them. The harvest that year was excellent. This is how Saint Tryphon became the patron saint of winemakers.
The traditions of Trifonov Day are still alive in Bulgaria. In villages at dawn, residents fry chicken or duck in a shallow frying pan - sachak. The carcass is seasoned with rice. A mandatory attribute of the holiday is homemade wine poured into a special wooden vessel - buklitsa.
The food is delivered to the vineyards, where all the villagers gather. A feast begins with the glorification of Saint Tryphon, somewhat similar to our Maslenitsa. Only the fun takes place not before Lent, but before the start of field work - after all, after Tryphon, spring comes, and the winegrowers will no longer have the opportunity to gather in a cheerful company
Photos from an autumn trip to the Donskaya Loza festival in the Rostov region ()
The culmination of the holiday is the pruning of the vine. Only male winegrowers who have gathered to the sounds of gaida (bagpipes) have the right to do this.
With prayer, Bulgarians cut off three branches from the largest vines, and then water the vines with homemade wine. The cut branches are placed on the head of the “Owner of the Vineyard.” He is selected in advance from several candidates.
Then the “Boss” is taken to the village on a cart, pulled by the winegrowers themselves, where each resident treats him to wine. What is not finished is poured onto the ground over the shoulder with a wish for a rich harvest and with prayer.
In the house of the “Boss” himself, a grand feast is organized for the entire village. Therefore, a local “bourgeois” is specially chosen as the “Boss” - so that he can feed the entire neighborhood.
Tryphon is glorified for more than one day. In the 2 days following the feast, the villagers ask the Higher Powers to give them protection from wolves. At this time, women are forbidden to cut with scissors, so as not to open the mouths of wolves, and also to sew and knit. Housewives bake ritual bread, placing pieces of it in livestock feed so that they are protected.
And in Bulgaria, a comic renaming of the holiday is common: not “Trifon Killed”, but “Trifon ZarYazan”. “Zaryazan” is Bulgarian for “abandoned”. So, if you got dumped before Valentine's Day, then there is also a reason to take a sip: D
Other names for the holiday Trifon Zarezan
The Mouse Spell, Winter Starfall, Tryphon the Starry, Tryphon the Mousegon, Tryphon with the Cat, Tryphon, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is known by this name in the orthodox tradition of Christianity in Russia.
And among the Bulgarians it has the following names: Trifonovden, Zarezanovden, Trifun Chipiya, Trifun Zarezoy, Trifun the drunkard.
The holiday is celebrated in Bulgaria on February 1 every year by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (or on February 14 according to the Gregorian calendar in Russia).
Customs on Tryphon Zarezan
They talk about kneading bread - unleavened or with yeast, boiling chicken, which is traditionally served with rice or bulgur.
Ritual of "Pruning" of the grapevine
Bread (pita), chicken and a vessel of wine are placed in a new woolen bag. Men go to the vineyard with such shoulder bags.
There, crossing themselves, using garden knives and cutting off three sticks from the vine. After this, they cross themselves again and water the brought vines with wine. This ritual is called “pruning” (in Bulgarian zaryazvene).
Grape king
After this, all the household and guests gather together and choose the “king of the vine.” Only then does the general holiday feast begin. The “King” is crowned with wreaths of wicker, one of which he wears on his head, and the other in the form of a garland he places on his shoulders.
By trolley throughout the surrounding area
He sits in the cart. The winegrowers drive the cart to the sounds of bagpipes, gidulok and drums through the village or city. They stop at every house.
The hostess brings wine in a white bowl and gives it to the first king of the vine to drink, and only then gives it to the drivers and people around him.
Ritual good wishes of the “King of the Vine”
The remaining wine from the vessel is thrown up above the king, and a blessing is pronounced: “May we have a good harvest! Yes, all the rapids will overflow!” (“Heide, there’s someone who’s bereket! Let’s pray before you!”).
The king answers with a blessing - “Amen.” Upon arrival at his home, the king changes into new clothes and, having hung wreaths on his head and shoulders, sits at a long meal to meet people from the entire village. Therefore, the king of the vine for this holiday is chosen from among the rich people.
The next two days after Trifon Stabbed
The next two days, known in Bulgarian folklore as “Trifuntsi” (trifuuntsi), are celebrated to protect against wolves.
Rituals against wolves
Women do not cut with scissors, so as not to open the wolf's mouth, and do not knit or sew. They make ritual bread (pita) and then give it to neighbors so that they can put pieces of bread in milk for the animals, it is believed that this will protect both livestock and people from wolves.
The Legend of Tryfon Zarezan
Legend says that on the fortieth day after the birth of Jesus, her brother Tryphon came to Mary. The Mother of God was holding her son in her arms. He cut off a grapevine and decided to use it to congratulate the birth of his son.
Tryphon congratulated him in a blasphemous manner, saying: “Mother, you have a son!”
After this, the Mother of God returned to the house and told Mother Anna to go to the vineyard, because her son had cut off his nose.
Mom went to the vineyard and saw that her son was alive and well. But at the same time, he was already preparing to cut off his nose. She found him because of the words of the Mother of God.
And because of this case of cutting off the nose, the holiday is called Tryfon Stabbed.
Festive table
The festive table is prepared by the hostess with special care. It all starts with the preparation of ritual bread - pita. Early in the morning the housewife gets up and prepares fresh bread.
The main dish, according to the old Bulgarian custom, is chicken with rice or bulgur.
Festive dishes also include sausage (pechen lukanka), homemade babek, fried nuts with sugar (liver zakharosani yadki), dried fruits (susheni plodovo).
How Trifon Stabbed is celebrated in Bulgaria video
Byala and Varna
Oryahovitsa village
The village of Tvarditsa in Gagauzia
Especially for those who follow Bulgarian news on my blog, live broadcast from the Bulgarian resort. Today, February 14, the city celebrated the Bulgarian folk holiday Tryphon the Slaughter.
The holiday came to Bulgaria along with the Thracians, who revered the god of wine Dionysus more than anyone else. Later, the holiday merged with the day of veneration of the Christian martyr Tryphon, who was executed for his faith in 250. Legend has it that on the day of the execution, insects attacked the vineyards and the winemakers prayed to Tryphon to protect the harvest.
According to tradition, on the day of Trifon-Zarezan, vineyards are pruned in order to get a good harvest, because Trifon-Zarezan (in Bulgarian Zarezan means “Pruned”). The holiday, of course, is more rural, but it is often celebrated in cities.
On this day, Bulgarian women prepare a special dish early in the morning - chicken stuffed with rice and bake bread. Homemade wine is poured into a wooden vessel. After collecting what they have prepared in a traditional wool bag, the men go to the vineyards. This is where the main action of the holiday takes place. The men pray, then use a special knife to cut off three branches of the vine. Then the brought wine is poured onto the vines. At the festival, the king of the vineyards is chosen, and a crown of vines is placed on his head. To the sounds of folk music, the king is solemnly transported on a cart to the village, where the holiday begins.
The procession goes through the village and stops at every house. The hostesses treat the procession participants with wine. Usually the celebration lasts three days. Already on the second day, participants begin to take compote and brine in order to be able to neutralize the effect of the wine they drink.
These days it is believed that one should not cut with scissors to protect oneself from wolves. If you open the scissors, the cleft palate may open. There are many more rituals, varying in different areas, aimed at protecting livestock from wolves.
In general, starting with Tryphon the Slaughter, a series of national holidays begins in Bulgaria, smoothly turning into farewell to winter, welcoming spring, and the beginning of work in the field. Bulgaria surprises with its reverent, sincere attitude towards ancient folk traditions. There are few countries in the world where there is still such unity between people and nature.
The celebration of Tryphon the Slaughter in the resort town of St. Vlas began on the main square with the sounds of folk music and the Khoro dance. At first the round dance was small, so the Russians living in St. Vlas rushed to the aid of the Bulgarian brothers.
It should be noted that the Russians demonstrated a good knowledge of the dance steps of the Bulgarian folk dance. (This, by the way, relates to the question of what Russians are doing in Bulgaria.) That’s what cannot be said about the Italians living in Vlas; there is a problem with dancing... There is a clear lack of rehearsals. It's time to take an example from our Russian comrades!
In the Khoro dance, the procession passed along the main street of St. Vlas, which is called Tsar Semyon, and turned towards the sea.
Today, the city’s most grape complex, Bademite, welcomed guests on the seashore. The buildings of the complex entwined with grapes are always admired by everyone who comes to the resort.
Thus, in an ongoing dance, the first vine was pruned.
The pruning of the vine was blessed by the local priest.
All those present were treated to wine and delicious bread. It seems that the majority of those present were Russians.
But, however, the event was not planned as a show at all. This is a traditional ceremony in Bulgaria, which is carried out wherever grapes are grown.
Then the procession along Chaika Street returned to the main square, where the participants of the procession were waiting for kebacheta and kyuftet cooking on coals, as well as an amateur local choir.
The fact that February 14 in most countries is considered Valentine's Day in Vlas has not been forgotten, but festive events on this occasion were held today in Nessebar. In Bulgaria, the attitude towards Valentine's Day is very cool, there are no piles of bears with hearts in stores, and in general nothing special happens either in real life or on TV.
I return again to the question of how the pensioners who moved here live in the first place. This is how they live, make friends with Bulgarians, take part in local holidays, and walk by the sea. The weather this winter is more pleasant than ever. There was practically no winter. Today in Vlas the thermometers showed over +20 degrees.
In such small Bulgarian cities, everyone knows each other and helps each other, which is a big contrast for those who come from huge Russian cities, where you don’t know who lives in the apartment next to you...
In general, today is a real holiday in Bulgaria, the festive atmosphere was simply in the air. And stores are already selling martenitsas, since March 1 is coming soon. Tomorrow Italy (and the Italians living in St. Vlas, respectively) will celebrate St. Faustin's Day. This is how it is, Saint Vlas in winter - every day is a holiday!
The roots of the holiday dedicated to Tryphon Zarezan go back to ancient times, when the Bulgarian lands were inhabited by Thracian tribes, who revered Dionysus - the god of wine and vines - more than all the gods. The ancestors of modern Bulgarians who came to the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in the 7th century adopted the Thracian traditions of winemaking and viticulture. The festival of winegrowers was subsequently superimposed on the pagan traditions in the popular consciousness.
This is a holiday in honor of the Christian priest Tryphon, who was executed in Nicaea in 250. According to legend, on the day of the execution, insects attacked all the vineyards of the country, and the winegrowers called on Saint Tryphon to protect them.
According to tradition, on this day the vines were pruned in order to get a large harvest in the fall, which is why St. Tryphon in Bulgaria is called Zarezan (Pruned). Now St. Tryphon's Day is celebrated not only by winegrowers, but also by gardeners, gardeners and owners of wine taverns.
On February 14, Bulgarian housewives get up at sunrise. They stew and fry chicken stuffed with rice in a sachak (shallow copper frying pan) and pour homemade wine into a special wooden vessel - buklitsa. They put everything, along with homemade bread, into a new wool bag, and the owner of the house, throwing the bag over his shoulder, goes to the vineyards, where all the other men of the village are already gathering. From this moment the celebration begins.
After Tryphon, spring comes, and the winegrowers will no longer have the opportunity to relax and gather in a cheerful company.
Therefore, for three days in the Bulgarian villages there is smoke like a rocker, there is a noisy celebration. In the vineyard, the men make the sign of the cross, each of them takes a garden knife and cuts three branches from three large grape vines. Then, having crossed themselves again, they pour the wine they brought with them onto the vines. After this, the election of the king of the vineyards begins. A crown of vines is placed on the king's head and a garland of grapes is thrown over his shoulder. He sits on a cart, which is pulled by the winegrowers themselves. Having reached the village, this procession walks through the streets, stopping in front of each house. The housewives bring out the wine in a white vessel and offer a drink first to the king, and then to all participants in the procession. The king throws the rest of the wine over his shoulder amidst everyone’s shouts:“May our harvest be rich! May our home be a full cup!” . The king answers:.
"Amen"
On the second day of the holiday, lighter food is served in large quantities - compotes and pickle juice, so that men can recover from what they drank the day before. The next two days are honored as providing protection from wolves. All this time, women do not cut with scissors to prevent the cleft palate from opening; they do not knit or sew. They bake ritual bread and put pieces of it into livestock feed to protect livestock and people from predators.
Recently, following changes in the church calendar, the Feast of Tryphon the Slaughter began to be celebrated on February 1. In many areas, however, the holiday continues to be celebrated on February 14th.
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On February 14, two holidays are celebrated in Bulgaria. It is Valentine's Day and the traditional Bulgarian Trifon Zarezan. Very convenient: for single people, February 14 does not become a reason to feel inferior against the backdrop of happy couples showering each other with hearts. You can declare yourself in love with wine and get drunk out of grief and celebrate the holiday cheerfully in the company of delicious drinks.
Two Tryphons
Trifon Zarezan is a reason to drink Bulgarian wine! Who is this Tryphon, and who killed him? The holiday appeared in ancient times, when the Thracians lived on the territory of Bulgaria, who revered Dionysus, the god of wine and winemaking. When the ancestors of modern Bulgarians came to these lands in the seventh century, they gladly adopted the traditions associated with winemaking. As often happens, pagan holidays did not disappear with the adoption of Christianity, but only changed somewhat.
A Thracian legend told of a king who insulted Dionysus. In response, the offended god of wine struck the king with drunken madness. He began to cut down the vineyards, but accidentally cut off his leg. This sobered up the king, and he began to plant the vineyards anew.
The Christian version is somewhat different from the original. The legend tells of a drunkard winegrower who insulted the Virgin Mary. Punishment was not long in coming for the rude man: he accidentally cut off his nose while pruning the vine. Since then, winegrowers have had a rule: first prune the vine, and then drink plenty. And Tryphon, of course, repented.
By February, the new homemade wine is already running out. Christian priests had a hard time. They understood perfectly well that the pagan holiday for newly converted Bulgarians was the most spiritual bond and national value. It was unreasonable to cancel it, therefore, it was necessary to lead it and give the bacchanalia at least some pious appearance. For this reason, Tryphon the drunkard was combined with the Christian priest Tryphon, who was executed in Nicaea in 250. Legend has it that the day of his execution was marked by the appearance of a huge number of pests that attacked the grapevines in the country. With great stretch, this can be considered a sign that Tryphon patronized winemaking. Therefore, the saint was appointed patron of winegrowers and innkeepers.
It is interesting that with the transition to the New Julian calendar, the holidays were again divided. Now Trifonovden is celebrated on the first of February, and it is a pious religious holiday.
And Tryphon Zarezan is celebrated, as before, in the middle of the month, which is quite reasonable, considering that February 1 is not very suitable for pruning vines, especially if it is cold.
Traditions
According to tradition, on this day it is customary to prune the vines so that the grapes produce a large harvest. This custom gave the name to the holiday: no one else is slaughtered, no blood sacrifices are made.
Ritual of pruning the vine The holiday today is celebrated not only by winegrowers, but also by everyone who is in one way or another connected with wine. That is, simply - everyone. This is the day of gardeners, farmers and restaurateurs.
Today's celebration is all about making the most of the fun drinks. Previously, many traditions were associated with this day. Bulgarian women woke up at dawn, poured homemade wine into a special vessel and put it together with provisions in a bag. With this bag, the owner of the house went to the vineyards, where other men also gathered. They took advantage of the last opportunity to rest before spring field work, so they celebrated heartily for three whole days.
The men cut shoots from the vines and then watered the plantings with wine. Then they chose the “Tsar of the Lozyata”. It was decorated with a wreath of wicker and dragged on a cart to a city or village. In every house the king and his retinue were treated and even poured wine. Then the wet and drunk king came home, changed clothes and had a long meal, to which all the village residents were invited.
How will we celebrate?
Modern people do not require any special rituals. It is enough to uncork a bottle of your favorite wine and drink it in honor of the patron saint of winemaking. And at the same time in honor of Valentine's Day in Bulgaria.
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