Hospitality is a deeply ingrained value in Bulgaria. When you visit a Bulgarian home:

• Gifts: It’s customary to bring a small gift such as flowers, wine, or sweets. Flowers should be in odd numbers, as even numbers are for funerals.

• Meals: Be ready to eat! Bulgarians love to share food and take pride in home-cooked meals. Traditional dishes like banitsa (a pastry filled with cheese) and shopska salad will likely be on the table.

• “Nazdrave” (Cheers): Similar to other Balkan countries, toasts are an important part of the dinner etiquette. Make sure you make eye contact as you say "Nazdrave" before sipping your drink or it'll be perceived as a sign of disrespect.

Much like your traditional Slavic festivals, Bulgarians celebrate the Kukeri Festival with vibrant, but scary costumes. Men dressed as kukeri (wearing animal-like costumes and masks) perform ritual dances to ward off evil spirits and bring a good harvest. The lively and colorful festival is full of music, dance, and cultural symbolism.

Today’s Bulgarian weddings are big, vivid events - a blend of old but never-forgotten traditions mixed with modern practices. One unique custom involves the bride’s shoes being “too big”, which leads to the best man or family members “paying” to adjust the size. Weddings also involve traditional dancing like the Horo, a circle dance familiar across the Balkans.

Religion plays a significant role in Bulgarian culture. Bulgaria is predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian, and many traditions revolve around the Orthodox calendar. Major religious holidays include Christmas (Koleda), Easter (Velikden), and St. George’s Day (Gergiovden).

During Easter, each family gathers to dye hard-boiled eggs in bright colors and print various shapes. After that they engage in a ritual egg-cracking contest, symbolizing the resurrection. The person with the last unbroken egg is said to have good luck for the year.

Much like our neighbors, Bulgarians take great pride in their food. Bulgarian cuisine blends Slavic, Ottoman, and Mediterranean influences, making it rich and diverse.

• Shopska Salad: A symbol of Bulgarian cuisine, made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and topped with the famous Bulgarian white cheese.

• Banitsa: A flaky pastry filled with a mixture of eggs, Bulgarian white cheese and yogurt often eaten for breakfast or during festivals.

• Kiselo Mlyako (Yogurt): Bulgaria is the home of yogurt! Its unique strain of bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, is used to make the yogurt, which is famous worldwide.

• Rakia: Rakia is the national spirit of Bulgaria, often consumed during meals and special occasions. Most types of rakia are made out of grapes, apricots and plums. Don’t be surprised if you're offered homemade rakia!