Yes! It is Valentine's Day on February 14th. A day on which everyone deserves love and warmth. But ... next to Valentine's Day, February 14 also means something more for the Bulgarians ... the day of St. Trifon!Saint Trifon Zarezan - known as the day of winemaker, grapes and wine! The name Trifon Zarezan comes from the Bulgarian verb "zariazvam", which also means "prune vines".The tradtions Bulgarians celebrate Trifon Zarezan with folkloric rituals in vineyard villages throughout the country. The men set out to prune the vines while the women bake festive bread loaves and prepare roast chicken stuffed with rice. Each vine-grower leaves for the vineyard with the bread and the chicken in a new, colorful woven bag and with a vessel (buklitsa) filled with red wine. Before the pruning begins, men turn to the sun and make the sign of the cross three times. After the first three twigs are cut, they wash them with the red wine, holy water and wood ashes that they had kept since Christmas Eve. At the end of the day, everyone gathers together to eat, drink wine, sing and dance. The man who harvested most grapes in the year is appointed "King". He and his subjects must traditionally get drunk to ensure a good harvest the following year.Many Bulgarians celebrate Trifon Zarezan on February 14 - one of the very few holidays to be still honoured according to the old calendar. In recent years, Trifon Zarezan coincides with Saint Valentine's Day.
