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Socialising having strangers within the pubs, hanging out with household members and associates, happening blind dates, which have a dating site account: looking for a partner within the modern Bulgaria is like somewhere else into the the west, but there is a residential district in which individuals fulfill prospective partners for the an even more traditional method.

Toward outsider (in order to many Bulgarians), most of the Roma check an equivalent. He could be, however, split up into several teams which disagree in faith, life and you can income. The fresh Kalaydzhii are Eastern Orthodox Christians and also for years have been itinerant tinkers. Their interest was perishing aside now, nevertheless they continue this new traditions away from staying in brief groups scattered up to Bulgaria.

The newest Kalaydzhii like to get married within clan, but despite the brand new advent of the web based and you may cellular correspondence, the lives is a barrier to help you socialising which have kinsmen. So that they arrange one or two annual events – a time to to meet family and you may household members, replace gossip, conduct business and, into the youths, discover someone in life.

This new Kalaydzhii see towards the Todorovden, a moveable meal towards first Saturday regarding Lent (this current year it had been towards 8 February), near Stara Zagora, as well as on the latest feast of your Assumption, that’s constantly into the fifteen August. They fulfill at the Bachkovo Monastery.

The fresh new Todorovden fulfilling draws a great deal more appeal regarding news because is the time when of several Kalaydzhii parents provide along the younger daughters in the hope to find them the ideal spouse.

Many are there merely to socialise, and the stalls with beer and kebapcheta try loaded with dudes (seniors nonetheless athletics dark provides, white tees, wide-brimmed considered caps and you may huge moustaches) feasting which have family relations. Pupils run-around eating frozen dessert and individuals group to the horse fair which is stored merely yards from the bride fair.

Little in the event normally compare to this new girls, even in the event. It don heavy eyeshadow as well as their faces are decorated light and you may purple. Some of the girls was bashful, anybody else be flirtatious. More affluent laugh broadly to show off their silver pearly whites, an indication of prosperity. Blue-eyes and long-hair are also “assets” wanted by younger men within fair.

The age of upcoming brides may vary. Sadly, of numerous Kalaydzhii reduce its daughters out of school after they arrive at fifteen (fourteen is the chronilogical age of consent inside the Bulgaria), and start trying marry them regarding. From the reasonable, chances was facing girls within middle-20s. He could be thought too-old and you will, because they are most likely are separated, they are certainly not valued because the virgins was.

This new comments and you may opinionsexpressed herein are the ones of your experts and you will don’t fundamentally echo the latest opinion of one’s America to have Bulgaria Basis as well as couples

Whoever the target bride-to-be, one step out of her is actually her granny. The outdated women can be since colourful as their granddaughters in a far more conventional way – it nevertheless don the newest brilliant skirts and you may aprons of Kalaydzhii antique costume, as well as their long braids hang-down their backs. The latest grannies move around the girls, keeping track of the menfolk, ready to battle people incorrect actions, and approach anyone exhibiting sincere need for its grandchild.

It looks difficult to woo a girl this kind of items, nevertheless young guys perform their finest. They walk-around making use of their family, defiantly munching sunflower seed products.

It is not uncommon for an effective boy and you will a good girl to help you have acquired an effective break for each almost every other long before the fresh fair, nonetheless can invariably sit-in and employ it because authoritative platform so you’re able to declare its engagement.

New types of its super-alluring clothes are often borrowed from the stage outfits of best chalga divas

Whenever good boy and you will good girl adore one another, new grandma goes into step and you will immediately organises an event between the 2 families. Getting together with contract are a flaccid activity and also to rescue deal with new negotiators like to do it in private. Only if a contract is attained, could be the engagement additionally the share reduced because of the boy’s household members towards the bride to be in public announced, that have audio and you may dance about new few.

The fresh new replace of cash and you will haggling across the sum is actually an effective vital part of the traditional fair that is much argued all seasons. If the discount was booming regarding the 2000s, an attractive virgin regarding a highly-to-do members of the family could cost doing fifty,000 leva. Into the drama rates transpired, stabilising around step 3,000-5,000 leva, towards bottom price as low as 500 leva.

It is called “to acquire a bride,” but men from the fair is actually wanting to declare that this isn’t a bona-fide trade but only a traditions. No body perform marry its child in order to men she hated, no matter what the money on give. Anyway, the people state, the money covered the newest bride-to-be is then used on the fresh relationship, that needs to be just like the lavish and you may ostentatious given that family relations can manage.

Performs this way of searching for a wife are employed in terms of securing love and you can contentment throughout the many years to come? There is no signal. From the reasonable one can get a hold of cheerful women with small youngsters who found a husband there annually otherwise two in advance of, nevertheless number of divorced girls “available” each year suggests that, like with newer way of selecting a wife, anything can also get wrong from the fiance reasonable.

This new fair is modifying, too. Not that way back the new girls manage been using why are Olongapo women so beautiful the brand new old-fashioned skirts and you may aprons that today only it grandmothers wear. The web based facilitates communication between your children and they have started to seem upon the entire affair and then have on the significance of virginity. Of a lot girls think of marrying outside of the Kalaydzhii.

Possibly the located area of the reasonable is evolving. Consistently it absolutely was stored on the a muddy and you can ignored meadow only away from village out of Mogila, a number of kilometres regarding Stara Zagora, however, this past year individuals felt like they – and their breathtaking daughters – got had an adequate amount of the latest mud therefore the disorder and the audio of one’s horse-fair. In the 2013, the new bride-to-be fair transferred to an abandoned block of land of the the fresh new Stara Zagora rail route.

High Ray is a series of posts, started because of the Vagabond Magazine, into the good assistance of your own America to own Bulgaria Basis, whose goal is to provide facts and you may records away from towns and cities, cultural organizations, incidents, characters and situations of lifestyle which might be often tough to discover towards the outsider from the Balkans. The best point is the preservation regarding Bulgaria’s social community – as well as yet not restricted to archaeological, social and you may ethnic variety.