Alternative name
Bulgarian, from Bulgarian bu'lgar (Bulgarians). In English, "Bulgar" is usually used only for the ancestors of modern Bulgarians in central Asia.
Contents
- Alternative Name
- Orientation
- History and Ethnic Relations
- Urbanism, Architecture, and Use of Space
- Food and Economy
- Social Stratification
- Political Life
- Social Welfare and Change Program
- Non-Governmental Organizations and Other Associations
- Gender Roles and Status
- Marriage, Family, and Kinship
- Socialization
- Etiquette
- Religion
- Medicine and Health Care
- Secular Celebration
- Arts and Humanities
- State of Physical and Social Sciences
Orientation
Identification.
The terms "Bulgar" and "Bulgarian" are most likely derived from a Turkish verb that means "to mix." Ethnic Bulgarians trace their ancestors back to the seventh century C.E., when the Bulgars (or Proto-Bulgarians), central Asian Turks, and Slavs, or central Europeans, merged. in what is now northeastern Bulgaria. In addition to the Bulgarian ethnicity, there are several ethnic minorities, the most common being Turks and Gypsies, with a small number of Armenians, Jews, and others.
The dominant national culture is ethnic Bulgarian, and there is little sense of shared national culture among the three main ethnic groups. Turks don't usually self-identify as Bulgarian, whereas Gypsies often do. Both groups are generally considered outsiders by ethnic Bulgarians, in contrast to more assimilated minorities such as Jews and Armenians.
However, because all citizens participate in the national economy and politics, a shared national political-bureaucratic culture does exist, both shaped by and shaping the cultural practices of constituent ethnic groups.
Location and Geography.
Bulgaria is located in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. To the east, it is bordered by the Black Sea, to the north by Romania and the Danube River, to the south by Greece and Turkey, and to the west by Macedonia and Serbia.
The landscape consists of plains, foothills, and mountains. One-third of the area is forested, and one-third is more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) above sea level. The main mountains include the Rila, Pirin, Balkan (Stara Planina), and Rhodope. For geographical reasons, Sofia was named the capital city in 1879 after Bulgaria gained independence.
Located on a plateau near the western border, Sofia is at the crossroads of major trade routes between the Aegean and Danube Seas and between Turkey and central Europe. It also offered easy access to the land of Macedonia, which was not part of the new Bulgarian state. Regional cultural variations sometimes reflect occupational specialization related to local environmental conditions (e.g., fisheries, livestock), along with the influence of other cultural groups.
Demographics.
Bulgaria's population was 8,230,371 as of December 31, 1998. The population increased gradually for most of the twentieth century but has declined by more than 700,000 people since 1988. This decline stems from out-migration and declining birth rates during the uncertain post-socialist period.
About 68 percent of Bulgaria's population lives in urban areas, compared with 25 percent in 1946. In 1992, 86% of the population identified as ethnic Bulgarian, 9% as Turkic, and 4% as Roma (Gypsies). Russians, Armenians, Vlachs, Karakachans, Greeks, Tatars, and Jews are among the smaller groups. The 1992 census did not include a category for Pomaks (Bulgarian Muslims), who are often identified as one of Bulgaria's four main ethnic groups and make up about 3 percent of the population.
Through emigration, ethnic Turks have been reduced to a share of the population since Bulgaria's independence in 1878. During the socialist period, ethnic data were not published, and there were attempts to assimilate the Muslim minority. This makes discussion of historical trends difficult. Some people may identify themselves on a census differently than they might in other contexts.
The current population of Bulgaria is 6,825,341 as of Saturday, November 12, 2022, based on the Worldometer breakdown of the latest United Nations data. while in 2020 the population of bulgaria was estimated at around 6,948,445 people at mid-year. Bulgaria's population is equivalent to 0.09% of the current total world population. Bulgaria ranks number 107 on the list of countries (and dependencies) by population. For more details can be seen in the following table
| Year | Population | Yearys % Change | Yearly Change | Migrants (net) | Median Age | Fertility Rate | Density (P/Km2) | Urban Pop % | Uran Population | Country's Share of World Pop | Wolrd Population | Bulgaria Global Rank |
| 2020 | 6,948,445 | -0.74 % | -51,674 | -4,800 | 44.6 | 1.56 | 64 | 75.6 % | 5,253,037 | 0.09 % | 7,794,798,739 | 107 |
| 2019 | 7,000,119 | -0.73 % | -51,489 | -4,800 | 43.6 | 1.52 | 64 | 75.2 % | 5,265,832 | 0.09 % | 7,713,468,100 | 107 |
| 2018 | 7,051,608 | -0.72 % | -50,836 | -4,800 | 43.6 | 1.52 | 65 | 74.9 % | 5,278,205 | 0.09 % | 7,631,091,040 | 106 |
| 2017 | 7,102,444 | -0.69 % | -49,509 | -4,800 | 43.6 | 1.52 | 65 | 74.5 % | 5,289,957 | 0.09 % | 7,547,858,925 | 105 |
| 2016 | 7,151,953 | -0.66 % | -47,788 | -4,800 | 43.6 | 1.52 | 66 | 74.1 % | 5,300,792 | 0.10 % | 7,464,022,049 | 105 |
| 2015 | 7,199,741 | -0.61 % | -45,053 | -4,894 | 43.4 | 1.52 | 66 | 73.8 % | 5,310,568 | 0.10 % | 7,379,797,139 | 103 |
| 2010 | 7,425,008 | -0.69 % | -52,391 | -16,748 | 42.3 | 1.52 | 68 | 72.1 % | 5,353,646 | 0.11 % | 6,956,823,603 | 99 |
| 2005 | 7,686,962 | -0.79 % | -62,199 | -17,100 | 41.1 | 1.25 | 71 | 70.6 % | 5,423,484 | 0.12 % | 6,541,907,027 | 93 |
| 2000 | 7,997,957 | -0.93 % | -76,270 | -26,765 | 39.7 | 1.20 | 74 | 68.9 % | 5,510,364 | 0.13 % | 6,143,493,823 | 91 |
| 1995 | 8,379,308 | -1.07 % | -92,430 | -71,293 | 38.2 | 1.55 | 77 | 67.8 % | 5,679,599 | 0.15 % | 5,744,212,979 | 83 |
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Linguistics Affiliation.
Bulgarian is the national language, a South Slavic language of the Indo-European language family written in the Cyrillic script. Bulgarian is closely related to Macedonian, the two languages being largely intelligible to each other and Serbo-Croatian.
Much of the vocabulary has been borrowed from Russian, Greek, and Turkish, and the latter two strongly influence Bulgarian grammar. Bulgarian has two main dialect variants, eastern and western dialects, and local dialects. Education and national media encourage the homogenization of language, especially in urban areas.
The Turkish minority speaks Turkish, a Turko-Altaic language. Gypsies speak Romance, an Indian language of the Indo-European language family. Many Gypsies are also fluent in Turkish, and some are fluent in Romanian. Bulgarian is necessary for interaction with authorities and in commerce and is the language of instruction in schools, although minorities have the right to be taught their mother tongue. The national media is in Bulgarian, while some radio broadcasts and print media are available in Turkish.
Symbolism.
The state of Bulgaria is symbolized in the coat of arms, in the center of which has a crowned lion, a symbol of independence dating back to the medieval state of Bulgaria. The flag has three colors, horizontal stripes (from above: white, green, and red), while the visible national emblem has no special meaning. During the socialist period of the country, the crown (symbol of the monarchy) was replaced by a star. After the fall of state socialism in 1989, the crown was replaced after seven years of debate.
Among the most powerful symbols of Bulgarian national identity are several important historical events: the founding of the Bulgarian states in 681 and 1878; the division of Bulgaria in the Treaty of Berlin (1878); union with East Rumelia (an autonomous Ottoman province created by partition) in 1885; successful defense against Serbian encroachment in 1885; in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and World War I (1914–1918), and territorial gains, losses, and humiliations. Symbols of incompleteness and loss serve as a strong rallying point for national unity.
Images of peasants, merchants, craftsmen and businessmen, teachers, and nationalist revolutionaries competing with each other in literature and folklore as icons of the true Bulgarian spirit, combining qualities ranging from honesty and industry to resourcefulness and cunning.
History and Ethnic Relations
The Emergence of the Nation.
In the fifth century C.E., the Slavs began to inhabit the Thracian-occupied eastern Danubian plains. In the seventh century, they joined the invading Bulgars to control a sizeable territory, which they defended against the Byzantines in 681, gaining recognition as the first Bulgarian state.
Slavic and Bulgar elements were later understood to have merged into one ethnic-cultural group, especially after the official adoption of Byzantine Christianity in 864, uniting them around a common religion. With Christianity soon came vernacular literacy and the development of the Slavic writing system by the Bulgaro-Macedonian Saints Cyril and Methodius.
The local Slavic language became the liturgical and administrative language of the state, reducing Byzantine ecclesiastical and cultural influence. In the tenth century, Bulgaria was among Europe's three most powerful empires.
The Ottomans invaded in the fourteenth century and ruled Bulgarian lands for five centuries. The last century of Ottoman rule saw the revival of Bulgarian culture in the "National Awakening." Bulgarian schools and cultural centers were established. In 1870 the Bulgarian church regained its independence from Greek domination.
The outside world took note in April 1876 when the Bulgarian uprising was met with bloody Ottoman reprisals. Russia defeated the Ottomans in 1878, leading to the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state. Hopes for a great Bulgarian were dashed in the Treaty of Berlin (1878), which left large numbers of ethnic Bulgarians in the adjacent states. This division of Bulgaria has been the cause of many conflicts in the Balkans.
After World War II (1939–1945), a socialist government was established under Soviet control. The overthrow of communist leader Todor Zhivkov on November 10, 1989, accelerated the reform process that culminated in dismantling state socialism in 1990 and establishing a more democratic form of government.
National Identity.
Bulgarian national identity is based on the understanding that the Bulgarian nation (people) was formed with a distinctive ethnic identity during the Middle Ages (from a mixture of Slavs, Bulgars, and other ethnicities). This identity, which was maintained throughout the Ottoman rule, formed the basis for an independent nation-state.
The history of the struggle for the Bulgarian state provides a key symbol of national identity. Another assumption is that ethnic and territorial lines should overlap. This sometimes leads to territorial conflicts with neighboring countries. Moreover, this makes the status of minorities ambivalent, as they do not share the same ethnic and historical ties to the Bulgarian land and state.
Ethnic Relations.
Bulgaria officially supports good relations with neighboring countries. Relations with Macedonia, however, are complicated as many Bulgarians see Macedonia historically as Bulgarian territory.
The liberation of Macedonia was a central element in the nineteenth-century Bulgarian liberation movement and early twentieth-century nationalism. Ottoman Macedonia was divided between Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia in 1913. Bulgaria claims to the contrary. Most Macedonians seek an independent state, which was realized only after World War II in Yugoslav Macedonia.
Bulgaria quickly recognized Macedonian independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 but did not recognize Macedonian's distinct culture. Since 1997 the Bulgarian government has recognized Macedonian as a separate language. Many Bulgarians, however, continue to regard Macedonians as Bulgarians, and the existence of a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria is generally rejected.
There are official and popular concerns regarding the human rights (especially the right to ethnic self-determination) of Bulgarians living in neighboring countries, particularly Serbia and Macedonia.
Relations between Bulgaria's various ethnic groups are somewhat strained, partly as a legacy of the brutal assimilation policies under state socialism and partly because of fears on the part of ethnic Bulgarians that minority self-determination would jeopardize the integrity of the nation-state Generally, in mixed settlements, relations with members of other ethnic groups are peaceful, although much depends on personal acquaintances.
Urbanism, Architecture, and Use of Space
Bulgaria's economy was primarily agricultural until World War II. State socialism brought about rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture, which led to a significant displacement of the population to cities and towns.
Soviet-style concrete apartment buildings and industrial developments surround major cities, with old-style houses and apartment buildings much closer. Educational and administrative facilities are scattered in major cities. The streets are wide and often cobbled, and public parks, gardens, and playgrounds abound. The economic collapse in the 1990s had a devastating impact on infrastructure and the maintenance of public spaces.
Commercial districts are generally centrally located, and travel to central product markets is essential for the survival of urban households. Place of residence and work are usually spatially separated, with most people relying on public transport, which is extensive but congested.
A residence, whether an apartment or a traditional house, is a very private space with interiors hidden from public view and often decorated individually. Traditional homes in villages and towns are usually made of wood, surrounded by high fences and with latticed windows.
The houses of the National Awakening period are brightly painted, with second floors jutting out onto the street. Interiors often include carved wooden ceilings.
Many mosques were destroyed after the liberation and also during the socialist period of the country. Restoration and rebuilding of mosques began after 1989 in Muslim areas. Churches are prominent, many of which date back to the National Awakening, and many of the Awakening-era cultural centers (chitalishta) are preserved.
Food and Economy
Food in Everyday Life.
Daily meals are mostly based on local produce in season. Bread, an important staple food, is often purchased rather than baked at home. Dairy products are widely consumed, especially yogurt and white cheese.
Home-cooked lunches and dinners often include soups, salads, stews, grilled meats, or stuffed vegetables, while out-of-home meals may consist of foods such as bread, cheese, sausage, and vegetables. Banitsa is a popular pastry filled with cheese and eggs, pumpkin, rice, spinach, or scallions for snacks and breakfast, accompanied by a drink made from wheat, boza, or water made from yogurt.
Popular alcoholic beverages include rakiya, a strong fruit-based brandy, and wine. Many people can get fruit and vegetables and make sauerkraut for the winter when fresh produce is unavailable or unaffordable. Regional culinary variations reflect local environmental conditions, for example, fish along the sea, vegetables in the plains, and dairy products in mountainous areas.
Some devout Muslims avoid eating pork. In response to postsocialist conditions, consumption of meat and dairy products has declined relative to cheaper bread. Typical restaurant offerings are more limited than home cooking, with a menu based on salads, soups, grilled meats, and possibly meatless offerings. Coffee bars, pubs, and confectionery shops are popular meeting places for a drink, coffee, or snack.
Food Habits at Ceremonial Occasions.
Some Orthodox Christians observe the fast of Lent before Easter, and devout Muslims avoid eating and drinking during the day during Ramadan. In Islamic tradition, many dishes are served, and sweets are exchanged at Bairam Ramadan (Ramadan). A ram or calf is ritually slaughtered for the Bairam Sacrifice.
Kurban means sacrifice and also refers to a dish of boiled meat prepared for ceremonial occasions. Another popular celebratory dish is roast lamb or mutton. The Christmas Eve table includes many meatless dishes, including stuffed cabbage leaves, beans, lentils, boiled oats, dried fruit, and beans.
For Christmas or New Year, a fortune in the form of a coin, a twig of cornel cherries, or a piece of paper is tucked into a banitsa or bread. Special holiday breads include the Easter braided kozunak, which is sometimes garnished with colored eggs.
Basic Economics.
The Bulgarian economy has experienced considerable disruption since the fall of communism in 1989. Industrial and agricultural production has declined, unemployment has increased, and the purchasing power of pensions and wages has fallen. In 1986, agriculture made up 16 percent of the economy (measured as a share of gross value added); industry, 60 percent; and services, 24 percent. The figure for 1996 was 15 percent for agriculture,
Thirty percent for industry and 55 percent for services. Private sector activity, which was more prominent in agriculture and services than in industry, increased from 17 percent of the economy in 1991 to half in 1996. Household subsistence food production has increased significantly as a result of economic changes in the 1990s.
In principle, Bulgaria is self-sufficient in food production; however, periodic shortages of key crops, such as wheat, have been caused both by bad weather and by the decline in agricultural production following the liquidation of cooperative farming.
Land and Property Ownership.
Significant changes in property ownership followed the collapse of communism. The Bulgarian constitution declares underground resources, coastal beaches, public highways, waters, forests, important national parks, nature reserves, and archaeological sites as state property.
Ownership of agricultural land and forests is legally restricted to Bulgarian citizens, government entities, and organizations; foreigners, however, are allowed to exercise rights. Private ownership rights to most agricultural lands have been returned to their previous owners (pre-collectivization) or their heirs, and parliament passed a law in 1997 to restore forests to former owners that were privately owned prior to the nationalization of forests in 1947.
Most pre-collectivized land holdings were small, and this pattern continues. About 19 percent of the forest was privately owned before nationalization, and churches, mosques, cooperatives, schools, and municipalities owned or managed some of the rest. Some forests and grasslands were managed communally before collectivization; it is still being determined, however, to what extent communal land management will re-emerge.
Big Industry.
Before World War II, the Bulgarian economy was primarily based on agriculture along with light manufacturing enterprises, such as food processing and textile production, which processed the resulting products.
Rapid industrialization occurred during the socialist era, particularly in heavy industries such as machinery production, mining, and metallurgy, as well as chemical and oil processing, and these sectors continued to dominate the Bulgarian industry in the late twentieth century. The food, beverage, and tobacco product industries also continue to be important.
Trade.
Most of Bulgaria's socialist-era trade was carried out with other socialist countries through their trade organization, the Joint Economic Assistance Council. In the last decade, trade with EU countries has grown compared to the countries of the former socialist bloc.
In 1997, Bulgaria's top trading partners were Greece, Italy, Germany, and the Russian Federation. The main export categories include chemical and petroleum products, machinery, electronics, mining and metallurgy, textiles and clothing, as well as processed foods, beverages, and tobacco.
Labor Division.
The workforce specialization increased during the socialist era, and many young people received vocational training that prepared them for certain professions. However, many rural households have returned to private agricultural production in the post-socialist period, and people may need help finding jobs for which they are trained.
Social stratification
Class and Caste.
During the socialist period, senior party officials, managers of state enterprises, and their relatives formed an elite. The former bourgeois elite had their property and means of wealth confiscated and nationalized.
Since 1989, despite the return of much of the confiscated property, it has been largely the elite of the socialist era and those close to them who have managed to acquire the wealth that now determines status, largely through illegal transfers of control of state-owned and private assets—the exploitation of trade relations previously controlled by the state. Most of the new personal wealth also comes from criminal activity, particularly organized crime.
Symbol of Social Stratification.
During the state's socialist period, elite status depended on maintaining the right relationships and necessary access rights—to better housing, the best schools, scarce commodities (often imported), and travel abroad. After the fall of state socialism, status began to be measured more in terms of monetary wealth, while the gap between the rich and ordinary citizens grew sharply.
Although generally disliked by it, conspicuous consumption by the elite has become much more visible in the form of stately dwellings and imported luxury goods and motor vehicles.
Political Life
Government.
Bulgaria's 1991 constitution established a parliamentary republic, providing a multiparty parliamentary system and free elections with universal suffrage for adults. The head of state of Bulgaria is the president-elect, and the head of government is the prime minister, who the largest parliamentary group elects.
Electoral parties and coalitions must receive at least 4 percent of the popular vote to enter the National Assembly. The Council of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister, is the main body of government's executive branch. Mayors and local municipal council members are elected, while the Council of Ministers appoints regional governors. There is also an independent judiciary.
Political Leaders and Officials.
Bulgaria experienced considerable political turmoil during the 1990s. Post-socialist governments have changed frequently, and the two parliaments still need to maintain their four-year mandates.
Growing disillusionment with the government and its inability to effect post-socialist economic restructuring is seen in the decline in voter turnout from 83 percent of eligible voters during the 1991 parliamentary elections to 59 percent in 1997. More than thirty-five political parties and coalitions registered for parliamentary elections. During the 1990s, but only a handful gained enough votes to enter parliament.
Politics is dominated by the Union of Democratic Forces, an anti-communist coalition that became a party in 1997, and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor to the Bulgarian Communist Party. Another party that plays a major role in parliamentary politics is the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which is generally identified with the Turkic minority in Bulgaria. Despite their disappointment, many Bulgarians continue to ask the government to solve problems and provide services—as it did during the socialist era.
Social Problems and Control.
Formal systems for dealing with crime include the law, the police, and the courts. In the post-socialist period, crime seemed to spiral out of control. The police were seen as least effective and, at worst, involved in rapidly increasing crime rates.
The most commonly reported crimes were theft of property and cars, while allegations of corruption were widespread. Another common perception is that certain sectors of the economy are controlled by so-called mafia groups that operate outside the law.
Ordinary people often feel powerless to do anything about these situations. In some rural communities, less formal systems of social control continue to operate to address issues such as crop damage from livestock abuse, and local authorities can mediate disputes.
Military Activities.
Although Bulgaria has had little direct involvement in military conflicts since World War II, all Bulgarian men are required to serve in the military. In the 1990s, tenure was reduced, partly due to cost considerations, and a movement began toward a voluntary military. Military spending fell from 4.6 percent of the gross domestic product in 1988 to 1.8 percent in 1996.
Social Welfare and Change Program
The social safety net of the Bulgarian socialist era included pensions, health care, maternity leave, and job security. The economic status of many households has fallen significantly in the post-socialist period due to unemployment and declining purchasing power of wages and pensions. Meanwhile, the government's poor financial condition has made it difficult to maintain previous services.
Some services have an ideological purpose, such as child care, which helps facilitate the entry of women into the workforce. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as the Bulgarian Red Cross, support orphanages and feed homeless children. Others advocate for civil rights or religious and ethnic tolerance.
However, the activities of NGOs are limited by economic conditions and dependence on foreign funding. Some foreign support for NGOs resulted from their perceived status as democratic institutions that were part of civil society, which was seen as lacking during the socialist era and, therefore, in need of support.
Non-Governmental Organizations and Other Associations
Several independent organizations exist in socialist Bulgaria. Previously established groups were incorporated into the state structure or eliminated. Newly formed environmental organizations such as Ecoglasnost played a role in the political changes of 1989, and the number of NGOs increased rapidly after the collapse of the state's socialist regime.
These organizations deal with environmental protection, economic development, human rights, social welfare, health care, the arts, and education. Most NGOs rely on financial support from non-Bulgarian sources interested in their activities or within the organization itself as a democratic institution. Urban professionals have created many NGOs, although some groups exist in rural areas.
The mass mobilization around environmental issues seen in 1989 has diminished as many people struggle to survive the difficult economic situation. More generally, the impact of NGOs on people's lives is limited by their small size, financial constraints, and limited recognition of NGOs in some circles. Other organizations include trade unions and professional associations.
Gender Roles and Status
Division of Labor Based on Gender.
Many women entered paid work during the socialist era when the ideology of gender equality was promoted, and they made up nearly half of the workforce in the late twentieth century. Women were often employed as teachers, nurses, pharmacists, sales clerks, and laborers and less often in management, administration, and technical sciences.
Women are also largely responsible for childcare, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Agricultural labor is divided by sex, with men working with animals and machines and women doing more hand labor in crop production. However, there is flexibility in responding to certain situations.
Relative Status of Women and Men.
While Bulgaria is often described as patriarchal, women may have substantial authority in household budgeting or agricultural decision-making. Both men and women have the right to vote and own property.
Women are only slightly behind men in educational attainment. Despite the socialist ideology of gender equality, women are often employed in lower-paying jobs, remain responsible for most domestic work, and represent more than half of the registered unemployed. They also hold fewer leadership positions than men. Less than 14 percent of post-socialist parliamentarians were women, and only one in five city councilors in 1996 was a woman.
Marriage, Family, and Kinship
Wedding.
Marriage is monogamous, close relatives are not considered a proper marriage partners, and spouses are usually from the same ethnic and religious group. Bulgarians usually marry by individual choice, although family can pressure partner choice. Some groups, such as the Pomaks and Gypsies, previously arranged marriages and sometimes do so now. Only civil ceremonies are legally recognized, although couples may also have religious ceremonies.
Almost all adults marry, usually in their early to mid-twenties. Divorce was rare in the past but is less stigmatized today. Marriage rates declined in the 1990s in response to post-socialist uncertainty.
Domestic Unit.
The household is the main unit of social and biological reproduction, and economic activity, especially in terms of agricultural production. Historical accounts of the family structure of the Balkans often discuss the zadruga. This extensive shared family household is said to have disappeared in the early twentieth century.
Contemporary households generally consist of a married couple or a couple with children, but they can span three generations—for example, a nuclear family with grandparents or a married couple, their sons and daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Most couples have only one or two children, although the birth rate is higher for the Bulgarian ethnic minority.
Two wage earners are often needed to support urban households. Because most women work, grandparents often take care of grandchildren in three-generation households, and a grandmother can shop and cook. Other contributing factors to such households are housing shortages and the need to generate income through either wage labor or subsistence production.
After marriage, a patrilocal residence—with a new spouse moving in with the husband's parents—is more likely than a matrilocal residence. However, couples can form independent households if they have adequate resources.
Inheritance.
In principle, both men and women own property such as land, buildings, and animals, and inheritance is partible (ie, the property is divided among all heirs rather than going to a single heir). In practice, some heirs may lose inheritance rights or may receive more land than their siblings, and daughters may inherit less land than sons.
The latter is sometimes explained in terms of the often large dowries of household items and sometimes land or livestock that women bring in for marriage. Homes are often inherited by the youngest sons, who bring their wives to live in the family home.
Kin Group. Bulgarians are considered kinship relatives by blood and marriage on the part of the male and female. Rather than a formal structure, kin tends to be an informal network of relatives. The inner circle of close relatives, friends, and neighbors is referred to as blizki or close people.
The importance of distant relatives is determined by factors such as proximity and frequency of interaction. With rapid urbanization in the socialist era, relatives can be dispersed between rural and urban settings. However, it is common to find groups of relatives in rural communities. In the countryside, relatives and other blizki often cooperate in agricultural activities.
Connections through rural and urban networks of relatives and blizki are often mobilized to achieve goals such as acquiring scarce goods, accessing information, or finding work.
Socialization
Baby care.
The mother usually provides early infant care. Working mothers receive at least four months of paid maternity leave, allowing them to care for their young infants on a full-time basis. The government, in theory, provided income supplements to families with children, but the economic collapse of the 1990s left that amount only a token (when they were paid at all).
Child Care and Education.
Ethnic Bulgarians tend towards only-child families. Thus they can devote considerable resources and attention to the welfare and education of their children. Children aged three to six can attend state-run kindergartens, where available.
Otherwise, their care often falls to the grandparents, who are increasingly seen as caregivers in an economically insecure post-socialist era. Strict discipline is rare, but children are raised to submit to parental authority.
Ethnic Bulgarians value education and children are encouraged to do well. School is free and compulsory for children aged seven to sixteen (four primary years; six to eight secondary school). Many parents pay for private lessons to ensure their children pass entrance exams for better secondary schools and universities or even resort to official bribes.
Since 1989, many private schools have been established, offering educational alternatives to the wealthy and often catering to those who are not accepted into elite public schools.
Turks and Gypsies have higher birth rates, tend to be lower on the socioeconomic scale, and are culturally and linguistically disadvantaged. Levels of educational attainment are generally lower than among ethnic Bulgarians.
Higher education.
Bulgaria has an extensive higher education system, with public universities, technical institutes, and teacher colleges in many cities. In the city of Blagoevgrad, there is also a private American university.
Competition for places at public universities is fierce. Most students receive subsidized housing and scholarships to offset tuition fees. The costs are not high, but under depressed economic conditions, they are significant.
Etiquette
In Bulgaria, the gestures to indicate "yes" and "no" are essentially the opposite of those common in most other parts of Europe. A sideways shaking of the head indicates "Yes," and a short upward and downward motion (nod) of the head indicates "No."
Bulgarians are generally proud of their hospitality and friendliness. Uninvited visitors will first be greeted with a handshake or verbal greeting at the outer door or gate and will be further invited to a private domestic space depending on the nature of the visit.
At meal times, a guest will be offered food and drink, and at other times drinks (often homemade rakiya); it would be rude not to accept this hospitality. The obligation to accept the host's offer includes situations outside the home, such as being invited to eat or drink in a restaurant or other place. When visiting someone's house, usually bring flowers or candy.
It is expected that younger people will give up seats to older women or parents with young children on public transport. Failure to do so invites public condemnation from other passengers. Strangers usually avoid eye contact on the street or in other public places.
In areas of mixed ethnicity, greeting neighbors or acquaintances in their own language is considered polite.
Religion
Religious beliefs.
Most ethnic Bulgarians adhere to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. However, there are small numbers of Muslims (Pomaks), Protestants, and Roman Catholics. The majority of Turks and Gypsies are Muslims, while some (particularly Gypsies) are Christians.
Among Pomaks and Gypsies, Christian and Islamic beliefs and practices often coexist. Orthodox Christianity and Islam in Bulgaria incorporate several pagan beliefs and rituals. Other religions include various Protestant churches, Armenian Orthodox Christianity, and Judaism and sects.
Orthodox Christianity is enshrined in the constitution as a traditional religion in Bulgaria, and the church has a legacy of ties to nationalists. Since the fall of state socialism, state regulation of religious affairs has weakened.
Nevertheless, political interference remained a factor in religious affairs, and divisions within Orthodox and Muslim communities in the 1990s (over challenges to leadership legitimacy mounted under state socialism) were dominated by partisan political interests. Da'wah by foreign churches and sects is considered a threat to national identity.
Most Bulgarian Orthodox and Muslims are disobedient, and many are atheists, partly due to attempts by the state's socialist government to discredit the religion. Although there has been a resurgence of interest in religious observance since the fall of state socialism, religious practices have largely become markers of cultural identity.
Religious Practitioner.
The Orthodox Church is headed by a patriarch presiding over the Holy Synod (or Council of Churches), with a regional hierarchy of archbishops, bishops, and priests. There are also monasteries where monks and nuns practice a life of devotion and religious scholarship. The Muslim community is governed by a Supreme Muslim Council under a Chief Mufti (religious judge), with a hierarchy of regional muftis, imams (priests), and religious teachers.
Rituals and Sacred Places. For Christians and Muslims, the most important rituals are those related to the journey of life: birth, marriage, and death, as well as baptism (for Christians) and circumcision (for Muslims). Christian holidays include Christmas, Easter, Lent, and holy days.
Services are held on Sundays and often daily, and people often visit the church to pray to the saints, lighting candles in honor of loved ones. Muslim holidays include the month-long fast of Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice (Kurban Bairam). Observers attend mosques on Fridays and can observe daily prayers.
Churches and especially monasteries are considered sacred, not only to the Orthodox Church but also to the nation, as they play an important role in national emancipation.
Death and Afterlife.
Orthodox Muslims abd Christians both believe in afterlife. For both, proper observance of the death and related burial rituals are considered essential for the soul's proper journey to the afterlife.
Medicine and Health Care
Bulgaria has an extensive healthcare system based around community polyclinics, with a network of general and specialized hospitals. This system is largely a legacy of the country's socialist period when universal health care was provided free of charge.
After the health care reform in 2000, consumers now have to choose their own family doctor and pay for health insurance. Healthcare professionals may also operate private practices.
Bulgarians have long valued herbal medicine, and the economic hardships of the 1990s led to an increasing dependence on herbs, with Western medicine being a last resort for many. Bulgarians, on the whole, care deeply about their health and are knowledgeable about treating minor ailments with Western medicines and herbs.
However, tobacco and alcohol consumption is very high, and stroke rates are among the highest in developed countries.
Secular Celebration
Attempts were made during the socialist era to replace religious holidays and life-cycle rituals with secular ones—for example, civil ceremonies replaced church weddings, and Grandpa Frost sent gifts on January 1, not Grandpa Christmas on December 25.
With the fall of communism, government-recognized holidays, including Easter and Christmas, and some socialist holidays such as September 9, which marked the beginning of the socialist era, have disappeared.
New Year's is celebrated on January 1 with food and holiday traditions designed to bring good luck and health in the coming year. Baba Marta (Grandma March), on March 1, is the spring welcoming pre-Christian holiday, where people exchange martinitsa, lucky charms made of red and white thread.
Bulgaria's liberation from the Ottoman Empire is celebrated on March 3, International Women's Day on March 8, Labor Day on May 1, and Bulgarian education and culture on May 24, a day associated with Saints Cyril and Methodius, the founders of the Cyrillic alphabet. Other celebrations—often associated with the agricultural calendar, the Orthodox Christian calendar, or both— include winemaker's day on February 14; Saint George's Day on May 6, in honor of the patron saint of shepherds and soldiers; and the masked cookie festival (mummer) marking the start of spring and the agricultural season (dates vary).
Important life cycle celebrations mark births, high school graduation, dispatch to military service, marriage, and death. The latter is commemorated at certain intervals after death (e.g., nine days, forty days, six months, one year).
Arts and Humanities
Support for Art.
During the state socialist period, art was funded (and regulated). State-sponsored folk ensembles are not only tasked with preserving heritage but also with the task of transforming folk art forms to a high cultural level.
State sponsorship allows art to flourish, and ideological boundaries do not necessarily compromise art. Puppet theater, for example, thrives on high standards of excellence. Since the fall of state socialism in 1989, state funding has evaporated.
Entrepreneurship on the part of individuals and ensembles had become essential for survival. In contrast, before, salaries and programs came mostly from the Ministry of Culture. This is a difficult transition for many practitioners of the arts. What remaining state funds are awarded is subject to open competition.
Literature.
Bulgarian literature began with the emergence of literacy in Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian) in the late ninth century C.E. The earliest writings were religious. In the late eighteenth century, secular writings began to be written in the more accessible modern Bulgarian.
In the early nineteenth century, the modern standard language was developed through promoting literacy in schools—several important writings on Bulgarian history date back to this period.
Literature and journalism developed with the theme of national emancipation. Ethnologists began to collect and publish folklore, another means of developing national consciousness. The rise of Bulgaria and early modern literature continues to form the core of literary studies in the Bulgarian education system. Several Bulgarian writers and poets have achieved international fame.
Graphic Arts. Bulgaria's printmaking tradition has its roots in Orthodox Christian icons and frescoes, and some of Bulgaria's medieval works are world-famous and significant in world art history, notably the frescoes at the Boyana church near Sofia. Folk arts and crafts flourished, and distinctive and beautiful traditions exist in woodcarving, ceramics, weaving, and other textile arts.
Performing Arts.
Bulgaria offers a rich palette of music, dance, and theater, from folk and dance music to classical and modern opera, jazz, and Western-style popular music. Of particular note here is the genre of folk music and folk-influenced music, many of which have become known to the outside world since the mid-1980s, achieving status as virtual icons of Bulgaria's national culture.
The most prominent are female vocal (choral) music and wedding ring music. Traditionally, folk musicians are often gypsies, the music is sensual, and performances involve a high degree of spontaneity, especially at events such as weddings. In theatre, opera and ballet, the repertoire of Bulgarian artists include a wide range of international and local productions. Bulgarian cinema experienced its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s under state sponsorship but now produces only between five and ten films each year.
State of Physical and Social Sciences
During the socialist era, the government supported the physical and social sciences; increased opportunities for higher education resulted in the training of a cadre of scientists in fields such as economics, history, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, biology, ethnography, folklore, chemistry, physics, botany, geology, geography, agronomy, forestry, and medicine.
Many scientists are employed in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences research institutes or universities. Under the constraints of the post-socialist economy, government support for these activities has dropped substantially. As a result, some scientists have left the country. In contrast, others have changed jobs or sought support for their activities through non-governmental organizations.
Source and References:
https://www.worldometers.info/