Easter is strongly celebrated festival in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, Easter traditions originated from the Eastern Orthodox Church rituals. “Veilkden” (The Great Day), this is what Easter is called in Bulgaria. Easter day is observed as the veryu significant holiday in Bulgarian calendar. Holy week begins at Palm Sunday and leads to the Great Day.

Red is the most important color for Easter eggs than any other decorated eggs in Bulgaria. Red dye is sacred for Pagan traditions which are still observed in Bulgaria. Red Eggs represent love and protection. These eggs are supposed to keep the evil spirits away from the house.

On the occasion of Easter, large Easter bread is baked which is shared among all the members of the family. Red and white eggs are embedded on the top of the bread; male members are represented by the white egg and red eggs represent female members of the family. It is eaten to break the Lenten fast but before consuming it, red eggs are to be blessed at church. In Bulgaria, people, with red eggs and Easter bread, gather at church around midnight on Saturday before Easter Sunday.

Tips of the eggs are cracked by men and women together to see who is luckier. This is the unique Easter tradition in Bulgaria. Eggs are cracked on the walls of the church and egg that is cracked is eaten first after Lent fast for good luck.

Other Easter customs of Bulgaria include burying of red eggs in fields to prevent hail, feeding the shells of eggs to livestock and also gluing them to the walls of eth house for protection. Then people, who meet death on Easter day, were buried with red eggs. Patients who suffered from boils used rub their skin with red eggs. For future prosperity, kids’ faces were touched with red eggs. In Bulgaria, it was a historic tradition that hostesses used present eggs to guests on the Easter day. Only kids were given these eggs.