by Mercia Macdermott (Author)
This comprehensive exploration of Bulgarian traditions, beliefs and lifestyles provides a wealth of information available for the first time in English, in one volume. Folk customs sustain a community and promote the welfare of the individual within it, and in Bulgarian these customs have for centuries fulfilled many social and personal needs, strengthening the family, comforting the bereaved, educating and celebrating.
Part One includes an introductory overview of Bulgarian history and looks at the background to traditional Bulgarian society, costumes, music and dance. Part Two and Three detail the various festivals and customs that are related to almost every aspect of Bulgarian life, dividing them into two groups: customs relating to the family and individual, and calendar customs and festivals. The book includes general information on human behaviour and beliefs, as well as more specialized information on subjects such as the ritual use of plants or the significance of, for example, the colour red. It will be a valuable source of reference for anthropologists, ethnographers and historians.
Author Biography
Mercia MacDermott has a long-standing association with Bulgaria; she was chairman of the Society for Friendship with Bulgaria (now the British-Bulgarian Friendship Society) from 1957 to 1973 and taught English in Bulgaria for over six years before becoming a guest lecturer at Sofia University for a further ten. She is the author of A History of Bulgaria 1393-1885 (Allen and Unwin) and three biographies of Bulgarian national figures: The Apostle of Freedom (Allen and Unwin), Freedom or Death and For Freedom and Perfection (Journeyman Press).