Socialising with complete strangers inside the bars, spending time with household members and colleagues, going on blind schedules, having a dating internet site account: shopping for a partner when you look at the modern Bulgaria feels as though anywhere else when you look at the the west, but there’s a residential area where somebody fulfill potential spouses within the an even more traditional means.
For the outsider (also to many Bulgarians), all Roma see the same. He or she is, however, split up into several organizations and that disagree inside religion, way of living and you will livelihood. New Kalaydzhii try East Orthodox Christians and years was indeed itinerant tinkers. Its hobby was perishing out today, nevertheless they remain the newest tradition off living in small organizations strewn around Bulgaria.
This new Kalaydzhii prefer to get married in their clan, however, despite brand new introduction of the web and you can mobile communication, their lives is actually a hurdle so you’re able to socialising having kinsmen. So that they manage a couple of annual gatherings – a for you personally to to fulfill loved ones and nearest and dearest, change rumors, do business and, on youths, to track down somebody in daily life.
The fresh new Kalaydzhii fulfill on Todorovden, a moveable feast to the very first Saturday away from Lent (this season it actually was to the 8 February), near Stara Zagora, and on this new meal of the Presumption, which is constantly towards the fifteen August. Then they meet during the Bachkovo Monastery.
The newest Todorovden meeting draws far more notice on news since it is the time whenever of numerous Kalaydzhii families give with each other their more youthful daughters hoping to find all of them the right partner.
Many are truth be told there just to socialise, plus the stalls which have beer and you may kebapcheta are packed with guys (elderly people nonetheless sport black caters to, white tees, wide-brimmed experienced hats and you may grand moustaches) feasting which have loved ones. Pupils run-around food frozen dessert and other people flock towards the horse fair that is stored just metres away from the fiance reasonable.
Absolutely nothing from the event can compare to the newest girls, though. It wear heavy eyeshadow as well as their confronts is decorated white and you will purple. Some of the girls was bashful, others much more flirtatious. The greater number of rich laugh broadly to show off its gold pearly whites, an indication of prosperity. Blue-eyes and you may long-hair are other “assets” sought after by younger guys within fair.
The age of upcoming brides may vary. Sadly, many Kalaydzhii treat their daughters out of college or university after they reach fifteen (fourteen is the period of agree inside Bulgaria), and commence seeking to marry them of. From the reasonable, the chances try against girls within middle-20s. He’s noticed too old and you may, because they’re most likely to-be separated, they’re not appreciated just like the virgins was.
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Whoever the prospective fiance, one step of their own is their particular grandma. The old women can be since colourful as his or her granddaughters in a very traditional method – they however wear the fresh bright dresses and you can aprons of Kalaydzhii conventional costume outfit, as well as their long braids hang-down the backs. The new grandmas gravitate around the girls, keeping an eye on brand new menfolk, ready to battle people incorrect conduct, also to strategy individuals exhibiting polite interest in the granddaughter.
It looks difficult to woo a beneficial girl in such issues, however the more youthful men manage their very best. It circumambulate with the loved ones, defiantly munching sunflower seed products.
This isn’t unusual to have an effective boy and an effective girl to help you had good break on every other a long time before the latest reasonable, even so they can invariably sit-in and use it since certified platform to help you announce their engagement.
The fresh designs of their very-sexy gowns are sometimes lent in the stage costumes of your own most well known chalga divas
When an effective boy and you may an excellent girl enjoy one another, new grandma goes in action and instantaneously organises a conference ranging from the 2 family. Getting contract was a smooth task and also to save yourself deal with brand new negotiators will take action in private. On condition that a contract is actually attained, may be the engagement and the share repaid of the boy’s members of the family on fiance in public launched, which have sounds and you can dance regarding the the newest couples.
Brand new change of cash and you will haggling along the contribution is good crucial the main conventional fair which is much argued all the season. When the benefit is booming regarding the 2000s, a beautiful virgin out-of a properly-to-manage family members could cost as much as 50,000 leva. With the drama prices went down, stabilising at around step three,000-5,000 leva, on base speed only 500 leva.
It is called “buying a bride-to-be,” however, people at fair try wanting to point out that this is simply not a bona fide trading but just a culture. No-one manage marry the daughter to help you men she disliked, whatever the money on offer. In any event, the people state, the money purchased the fresh new bride will then be used on the new wedding, that should be because lavish and ostentatious since the nearest and dearest can be manage.
Does this way of in search of a wife work in terms of securing like and you will glee from the years to come? There’s absolutely no code. In the fair you can pick smiling ladies with quick people whom located a husband around per year otherwise a few before, although level of divorced girls “at discount” yearly shows that, like with more modern means of looking a wife, things can also make a mistake on bride fair.
The newest reasonable is switching, as well. Not too way back the fresh girls perform been dressed in the traditional skirts and you can aprons that today merely they grandmas don. The net facilitates communication amongst the youngsters and they’ve got come to appear upon the complete fling and have now towards dependence on virginity. Many girls dream of marrying beyond your Kalaydzhii.
Perhaps the located area of the fair is changing. For many years it was stored towards the a dirty and overlooked meadow only away from village out of Mogila, a few kilometres off Stara Zagora, but this past year some body decided it – in addition to their gorgeous daughters – got had an adequate amount of the brand new mud additionally the clutter together with sounds of one’s horse fair. For the 2013, this new bride reasonable transferred to a discontinued parcel by the fresh Stara Zagora train channel.
Highest Beam was a series of stuff, initiated by Vagabond Mag, into the generous assistance of America getting Bulgaria Base, whose goal is to incorporate details and you will history from places, social entities, situations, personalities and affairs from lifetime that will be either tough to discover into the outsider on Balkans. The ultimate aim is the preservation from Bulgaria’s social heritage – in addition to not simply for archaeological, social and you can cultural assortment.
