Comments | tilia_tomentosa: A national holiday

tilia_tomentosa

A national holiday

Mar 03, 2010 18:09

Today is a national holiday for Bulgaria, the day of our liberation from the Ottoman Empire with the Russo-Turkish War in 1878.

So, my all-female company for the day and I quietly left our flowers at the war memorial (yes, dan4behr , that memorial) after the official ceremony (oh, look what the wind did to my carefully combed hair :P). Then we went to a ( Read more... )

bulgarian customs, photos of me, stara zagora, photo posts

Comments 28

leafshimmer March 3 2010, 16:57:17 UTC

Great photos! seems as if it was a wonderful day out for you and your buddies.

I keep meaning to run a google search on the martenitsi to learn what significance (if any) they carry, apart from being pretty and sparkly.

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 17:12:54 UTC

Did you read my last year's post about them? I linked to it at least twise this year.
http://tilia-tomentosa.livejournal.com/63424.html

The anthropologists think that the original idea was protection from evil forces. Then there still is the additional layer of wishing good health and generally luck to however you give a martenitsa.

They were definitely originally pagan amulets, and came from the mysterious original Bulgarians. As for Grandma Marta, the female personification of the month of March, she might have come from the local Slavic mythology, but that's only my guess. She is now very much perceived as a folk tale personage, a woman of ever-changing moods to represent the ever-changing March weather.

leafshimmer March 3 2010, 17:52:17 UTC

I love this! thanks so much. Baba Marta is my new heroine (March is always a difficult month...)

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 17:57:22 UTC

orlandoman March 3 2010, 17:09:46 UTC

I agree, they are lovely photos! You look happy and relaxed in the company of friends.

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 17:23:38 UTC

Thank you! :)

That company has had a very troubled past together, and survived it all with dignity. Now we can afford to be relaxed and happy together. :)

(The comment has been removed)

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 17:43:03 UTC

thank you! :)

dan4behr March 3 2010, 18:20:10 UTC

next time, don't forget to grab some pictures of those nearby trees to see if we can identify them for certain!

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 18:23:20 UTC

LOL wait for the leaves to appear!

dan4behr March 3 2010, 18:32:42 UTC

Love the picture at the cafe, too!

Everyone looks delighted with the day.
Perhaps the coffee had a little "something extra" splashed in? (Kahlua for me, please....)
Oh, and somebody left a cocktail unattended on the table.
Grab a sip....

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 18:34:43 UTC

It was just coffee... or in one case, tea. And my friend Diana's... martini, I think. :)

arktos62 March 3 2010, 19:42:56 UTC

Like a scene from Absolutely Fabulous! And it is! Happy Liberation Day!

tilia_tomentosa March 3 2010, 19:53:05 UTC

Thank you! :)