HAPPY ST LAZARUS’ DAY: Today we celebrate the beautiful and joyous Bulgarian spring fertility ritual known as Lazarouvane or Lazaritsa. The ritual is carried out by girls who are coming of age. They are called lazarki and wear full adult costume and special headdresses beautifully adorned with flowers or feathers. They go from house to house dancing and singing special ritual songs for each family member to bring them the blessings of love, marriage and happiness and to welcome the return of spring and fertility to the earth. There are special songs for going through fields and by rivers, and in some areas the lazarki sing in honour of the family’s bees. The lazarki songs and dances are like magic spells to make the blessings come true. In the past it was believed that girls of marriageable age who did not participate in the ritual were not ready to marry and were liable to be carried off by a dragon. Dragons are very active at this time of year! In some areas younger lazarki also go round the houses but with a more limited repertoire. Although Lazarovden is nominally a Christian festival, held 8 days before Orthodox Easter Sunday, the ritual has ancient pagan roots and celebrates youth, the return of spring and fertile nature. It is a tradition that is still very much alive. We wish you good health, happiness, love and fertility/creativity on this St Lazarus Day!

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