Editing Bulgarians (section)

===Folk beliefs and customs===
{{main|Bulgarian customs|Slavic mythology}}
[[File:Кукери.jpg|thumb|[[Kukeri]] from the area of [[Burgas]]]]
[[File:Lazarki from Gabra.jpg|thumb|Girls celebrating [[Lazarice|Lazaruvane]] from Gabrа, [[Sofia Province]]]]
Bulgarians may celebrate [[Saint Theodore's Day]] with horse racings. At Christmas Eve a [[Pogača]] with fortunes is cooked, which are afterwards put under the pillow. At [[Easter]] the first egg is painted red and is kept for a whole year. On the [[Baptism of Jesus]] a competition to catch the cross in the river is held and is believed the sky is "opened" and any wish will be fulfilled.

Bulgarians as well as [[Albanians]] nod the head up and down to indicates "no" and shake to indicate "yes". They may wear the [[martenitsa]] (мартеница)—an adornment made of white and red yarn and worn on the wrist or pinned on the clothes—from 1 March until the end of the month. Alternatively, one can take off the martenitsa earlier if one sees a stork (considered a harbinger of spring). One can then tie the martenitsa to the blossoming branch of a tree. Family-members and friends in Bulgaria customarily exchange martenitsas, which they regard as symbols of health and longevity. When a stork is seen, the martenitsa should be left on a tree. The white thread represents peace and tranquility, while the red one stands for the cycles of life. Bulgarians may also refer to the holiday of 1 March as [[Baba Marta]] (Баба Марта), meaning ''Grandmother March''. It preserves an ancient pagan tradition, possibly celebrating the [[Martius (month)|old Roman new Year]], beginning on 1 March, identical with Romanian [[Mărțișor]]. Pagan customs found their way to the Christian holidays. The ancient ritual of [[kukeri]] (кукери), similar to Slovenian [[Kurentovanje]], [[Busójárás]] and [[Halloween]], is performed by costumed men in different times of the year and after Easter. This seeks to scare away evil spirits and bring good harvest and health to the community. Goat is symbolized, that was left from the Thracian cult of [[Dionysian Mysteries]]. The ritual consists of dancing, jumping, shouting and collect gifts from the houses in an attempt to banish all evil from the village. The adornments on the costumes vary from one region to another. The [[Thracian Heros]] remains in the image of [[Saint George]], at whose feast the agriculture is celebrated, a lamb is traditionally eaten, accomplished with ritual bathing. [[Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha|Saint Tryphon]]'s fertility and wine is attributed a Thracian origin, considered to preserve the cult to [[Sabazius]] as the Kukeri.<ref>Колева Т. А. Болгары // Календарные обычаи и обряды в странах зарубежной Европы. Конец XIX — начало XX в. Весенние праздники. — М.: Наука, 1977. — С. 274–295. — 360 с.</ref> This is followed in February by Pokladi, a tradition of setting massively large fire and jump over as at the [[Kupala Night]] and a competition between couples to eat an egg on a thread is held. Another characteristic custom called [[nestinarstvo]] (нестинарство), or ''firedancing'', distinguishes the [[Strandzha]] region, as well as [[Dog spinning]]. The authentic nestinarstvo with states of [[trance]] is only preserved in the village [[Balgari]]. This ancient custom involves dancing into fire or over live embers. Women dance into the fire with their bare feet without suffering any injury or pain.
 
[[Early Slavs|Slavic]] pagan customs are preserved in Bulgarian Christian holidays. The [[Miladinov brothers]] and foreign authors noticed that even pagan prayers are preserved quoting plenty of Slavic pagan rite songs and tales remained in Bulgarians, including [[Macedonians (Bulgarians)|Macedonians]] and [[Pomaks]], mainly dedicated to the divine nymphs [[Samodiva (mythology)|samovili]] and [[peperuna]] for the feasts [[survakane|surva]], [[Saint George's Day]], [[Koleda]], etc. with evidence of toponymy throughout the regional groups linking directly to the deities [[Svarog]], [[Perun]], [[Hors]] and [[Veles (god)|Veles]], while the regional group Hartsoi derive their name from god Hors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tangrabg.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/veda_slovena.pdf |title=?? |website=Tangrabg.files.wordpress.com |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326094747/https://tangrabg.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/veda_slovena.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://bkks.org/files/bnpesni.pdf |title=?? |website=Bkks.org |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702182601/http://bkks.org/files/bnpesni.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Анчо Калоянов. СТАРОБЪЛГАРСКОТО ЕЗИЧЕСТВО. LiterNet, 06. 11. 2002. {{ISBN|954-304-009-5}}</ref> Songs dedicated to the Thracian divinity [[Orpheus]] were found in Pomaks, who is said to marry the samovili. The old Bulgarian name of the [[Presentation of Jesus at the Temple]] was ''Gromnitsa'' and ''Perunov den'' dedicated to the supreme Slavic thunder god Perun. In the mix of Christian and pagan patrons of thunder, at [[Saint Elijah]]'s feast day [[Ognyena Maria]] is worshiped, the Slavic goddesses assisting Perun that took a substitutional dual position of the Christian Mother of God. The custom for rain begging [[Peperuna]] is derived from the wife of Perun and the god of the rain [[Dodola]], this was described by a 1792 Bulgarian book as a continued worship of Perun at times of absence of rain with a ritual performed by a boy or a girl dressed like Perun.<ref>История во кратце о болгарском народе словенском</ref> Similar rain begging is called [[German (mythology)|German]]. In case of continuous lack of rain, a custom of driving out the [[zmey]] from the area is performed. In the dualistic Slavic belief the zmey may be both good [[tutelary spirit]] and evil, in which case is considered not local and good, but evil and trying to inflict harm and drought.<ref name=ivanichka/> Saint [[Jeremiah]]'s feast is of the snakes and the reptiles, there is a tradition of jumping over fire. At the [[Rusalka#Rusalka week|Rusalka week]] the girls don't go outside to prevent themselves from diseases and harm that the dead forces [[Nav (Slavic folklore)|Rusalii]] can cause.<ref name=ivanichka/> This remained the holiday of the samovili. The men performing the custom are also called Rusalii, they don't let anybody pass through between them, don't talk with each other except for the evening, avoid water, if someone lacks behind a member swoops the sword over the lacker's head to prevent him from evil spirits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bgnow.eu/news.php?cat=2&cp=0&newsid=27862 |title=Русалии – древните български обичаи по Коледа |website=Bgnow.eu |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702205027/http://www.bgnow.eu/news.php?cat=2&cp=0&newsid=27862 |url-status=live }}</ref> If the group encounter on their way a well, dry tree, old cemeteries, crossroads, they go round them three times. Before leaving rusalii say goodbye to their relatives as if they went to war, which is not surprising because some of them are killed. When two rusalii groups met there was a fight to the death in which the dead were buried in special "rusaliyski cemetery." Each year there are holidays in honour of wolves and mouses. A relief for the scared believers is celebrated at the [[Beheading of St. John the Baptist]], when according to Bulgarian belief all the [[List of Slavic mythological figures|mythical figure]]s go back to their caves in a mythical village in the middle of nowhere Zmeykovo of the zmey king, along with the [[rusalki]], samodivi, and return at [[Annunciation]].<ref name=ivanichka>{{cite web |url=http://mling.ru/etnolingvistika/bg/muth_bg.pdf |title=?? |website=Mling.ru |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326094737/http://mling.ru/etnolingvistika/bg/muth_bg.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> According to other beliefs the danger peaks at the so-called few days around the New Year Eve "Dirty Days", this time starts at [[Koleda]], which merged with [[Christmas]], when groups of kids [[koledari]] visit houses, singing carols and receiving a gift at parting. It is believed that no man can go in Zmeyovo and only the magpie knows the location of this place. At many of the holidays a sexual taboo is said to be practiced to prevent conceiving a vampire or werewolf and not to work, not to go to [[Vechornytsi|Sedenki]] or go out. [[Need-fire|Live-fire]] is set in case of epidemics.<ref name=ivanichka/> [[Babinden]] for example is rooted in the mother-goddess. On the day of [[St. Vlas]], the tradition of a "wooly" god Veles established itself, a god who is considered to be a protector of shepherds, and bread is given to the livestock on that day.<ref name=ivanichka/> The ancient Slavic custom to marry died people occurred in Bulgarian society.<ref name=ivanichka/> [[Survakane]] is performed each new year with a decorated stick by children, who hit adults on the back for health at the New Year Eve, usually in exchange of money. In the [[Chech]] region there is a custom forbidding "touching the land", i.e. construction and agriculture, at the equinox on 25 March and the same custom is found in Belarusian [[Volhynia]] and [[Polesia]].<ref name=ivanichka/>

Bulgarian mythology and fairy tales are mainly about forest figures, such as the dragon zmey, the nymphs samovili (samodivi), the witch veshtitsa. They are usually harmful and devastating, but can also help the people. The samovili are said to live in beeches and sycamores the, which are therefore considered holy and not permitted burning.<ref name=ivanichka/> Samovili, although believed to be masters of everything between the sky and the earth, "run away" from fraxinus, garlic, dew and walnut.<ref name=ivanichka/> Walnut remained in Christianity to be used in prayers to "see" the dead in Spirits Day.<ref name=ivanichka/> [[Dictamnus]] is believed to be their favourite herb, which is intoxicating. The samovili are spirits in Bulgarian beliefs are the diseases themselves and punish people, kidnap shepherds, make blind the people or drown them and are in white colored dress, they are in odd numbers, which suggest they are ones of the "dead".<ref name=ivanichka/> Epic heroes as [[Prince Marko]] are believed to be descended from the samodivi. The elm is believed to scare the evil forces. Sacral trees in Bulgarian beliefs are beeches and oaks.<ref name=ivanichka/> Hawthorn is believed to expel all evil forces and is applied to cure suspected vampires. The tradition forbids killing of sacred animals – deer, while it is hold a belief the samodivi runaway from horse. The alleged as "unclean" animals resembling the devil such as the goat are, however, exempted from being eaten as the holy ones. The zmey is [[transhuman]] and can turn "into" animals, plants and items, he is also "responsible" for diseases, madness and missing women.<ref name=ivanichka/> The female version of the Slavic zmey is [[Lamia]] and [[Ala (demon)|Ala]] is another version. The girls who practiced [[Lazarice|Lazaruvane]] and other rituals "could not" be kidnapped by the zmey. The main enemy of the Sun is the zmey, which tries to eat the Sun, which scene is preserved in church art.<ref name=ivanichka/> The sun is painted one eyed as recorded by beliefs Perun stabbed one of the sun's eyes to save the world from overheating.<ref name=ivanichka/> The [[Vampire hunter|born on Saturday]] are thought as having supernatural powers, those born at the wolves' holidays and a number of people are alleged as [[werewolf|varkolaks]] and vampires.<ref name=ivanichka/> The most spread Bulgarian view of the vampire was that of a rolling bulbous balloon of blood derived from the Slavic term ''pir'' "drink".<ref name=ivanichka/> Rusalka is believed to be a variety of the samodivi and [[Nav (Slavic folklore)|Nav]], but the latter are considered little fairies.<ref name=ivanichka/> The Thursdays remained feasts of Perun in Bulgarian beliefs.<ref name=ivanichka/> The wind and the hot steam of the bread is believed to be the souls of the dead.<ref name=ivanichka/> From Easter to Feast of the Ascension it is believed that the death are in the flowers and the animals. [[Marzanna|Mora]] in Bulgarian beliefs is a black hairy evil spirit with four firing eyes associated with nightmares when causing someone to scream, similarly to [[Kikimora]]. Polunoshtnitsa and [[Poludnica]] are believed to be evil spirits causing death, while to [[Leshy|Lesnik]], [[Domovoy|Domovnik]] and [[Vodyanoy|Vodnik]] a dualistic nature is attributed.<ref name=ivanichka/> Thanks to the [[Volkhv|Vlshebnik]], a man of the community, a magician and a priest, communication with the "other" world was held.<ref name=ivanichka/> Torbalan is the [[Sack Man]] used to scare children, along with [[Baba Yaga]], who is a witch in her Bulgarian version.<ref name=ivanichka/>

[[Kuma Lisa]] and [[Hitar Petar]] are the tricky fox and villager from the fairy tales, the tricked antagonist is often [[Nasreddin Hoca]], whereas [[Bay Ganyo]] is a ridiculed Bulgarian villager. Ivancho and Mariika are the protagonists of the jokes.

Despite eastern Ottoman influence is obvious in areas such as cuisine and music, Bulgarian folk beliefs and mythology seem to lack analogies with [[Turkic mythology]], [[Tengriism|paganism]] and any non-European folk beliefs,<ref name=ivanichka/> sо in pre-Christian times the ancient Bulgars were much inferior to the Slavs in the ethnogenesis and culture that resulted in modern Bulgarians. The Slavic language was officialized at the same time with Christianity, so Slavic paganism has never been a state religion of Bulgaria or more influential than [[Tengriism]].  Most of Bulgarian land lack any pagan archeology left from the Bulgars, despite early Christianization and that during most of the pagan period medieval Bulgarian borders spread significantly only in today's northern Bulgaria. Although legacy indicating ancient [[Bulgars|Bulgar]] culture is at most virtually absent in modern Bulgarian culture, some authors claim there is a similarity between the dress and customs of the [[Chuvashes]], who descend from the [[Volga Bulgars]], and the Bulgarian ethnographic group ''Kapantsi'' from [[Targovishte Province]] and [[Razgrad Province]], among whom the claim that they are direct descendants of [[Asparuh]]'s Bulgars is popular,<ref>Следи от бита и езика на прабългарите в нашата народна култура, Иван Коев, София, 1971.</ref><ref name="max">{{cite book|last1=MacDermott|first1=Mercia|title=Bulgarian Folk Customs|publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers|isbn=9781853024856|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gh4IE6toGJMC&pg=PA22|pages=41, 44|quote=The so-called Kapantsi - an ethnographic group living mainly in the Razgrad and Turgovishte, area of north-east Bulgaria - are believed to be descendants of Asparuh's Bulgars who have maintained at least something of their original heritage...the traditional costumes of Bulgaria are derived mainly from the ancient Slav costumes...Women's costumes fall into four main categories: one-apron, two-apron, sukman and saya. Like men's costumes, these are not intrinsically separate types, but have evolved from the original chemise and apron worn by the early Slavs...Directly descended with little mutation from the dress of the ancient Slavs, the one-apron ...|date=1998-01-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.promacedonia.org/da/da_4_3.htm |title=Д. Ангелов, Образуване на българската народност – 4.3 |website=Promacedonia.org |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=19 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219025030/http://www.promacedonia.org/da/da_4_3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> but Slavic elements are found among them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ekip7.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17519 |title=Ekip7 Разград – Коренните жители на Разград и района – българи, ама не какви да е, а капанци! |website=Ekip7.bg |date=2015-09-14 |access-date=2016-11-22 |archive-date=12 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012095815/http://www.ekip7.bg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17519 |url-status=dead}}</ref>