Friday, March 15, 2013

Traditional Bulgarian Costumes



The traditional Bulgarian
costume is one of the
most typical elements
of the Bulgarian folk culture. It
is the traditional clothing which
has a specific meaning in both
everyday and festival activities
of the Bulgarians. Each region
of Bulgaria has its own costume
with unique, typical motifs.
A specific code is weaved into the
ornamentation of the Bulgarian
costumes - in the past the Bulgarians
used to rely on it for information about
the family of those, who wore them,
and the areas of the country, where they
lived. Each costume had its message.

The Bulgarian costume contains
many elements and motifs from the
pagan beliefs and legends. No one
wore clothes with fully symmetrical
decorations, because Bulgarians
believed that full symmetry was a
diabolical creation. Therefore, elements
were often added and removed, so
that no symmetry should exist. Those
were intentional mistakes in order to
prevent the evil eye.







Costumes are divided into
male and female. Female
costumes are more colorful
and interesting than male
costumes; however the
male costumes also attract
interest with their typical elements
.
Bulgarian women make their
costumes all by themselves. As early
as the age of five, little girls were
starting learning to spin wheels,
sew, weave, prepare the trousseau
for their weddings, and from
their twelfth year to the wedding,
they were learned to embroider
- this was the highest skill of all
domestic crafts. Embroidery used
to have great symbolic value. It
was believed to protect the human
body from evil spells and spirits.
People believed that cutting a part
of the embroidery of one’s garment
would blaze a trail for the evil spirits
and make the person vulnerable.
Bulgarian women were allowed to
embroider only until their wedding
day - after that they were having
the right to do it again only when
their own daughters become 12
years and they need to learn how 
to do it.

Commonly, female costumes are
divided into: two-apron, tunics,
Sayan and one-apron clothes.
The male costumes are divided
into white-cloth and black cloth
costumes.

The two-apron female costume
is widespread in Northern
Bulgaria. It consists of a shirt,
two aprons (front and back)
and a belt. A wide variety of this
type of national costumes can
be seen in the Regional History
Museum in Pleven. The male
costumes in Pleven area are of
the white-cloth type and consist
of a belt, a tunic-like shirt, pants
and outer garments.

Most of the decoration of
the Sayan clothing is at the
neckline and the sleeves. The
costume consists of colorful
Saya (overcoat), jacket, skirt and
belt. The Saya costume used to
be widespread in southern and
southwestern Bulgaria.
The tunic is typical for
southeastern Thrace. It consists
of shirt, tunic, apron and belt;
the typical decoration is most
noticeable at the foot of the
dress and the neckline.

 
The one–apron costume can
be seen mostly in the Rhodope
area. It consists of a shirt and
an apron. The black-cloth male
costume, which is typical for
the Middle Rhodope Mountain
region, consists of a tunic-like
shirt, wool trousers in a dark
color, outerwear and a cap.


A rich collection of costumes,
typical for the Middle Rhodope
region, can be seen in the
Regional History Museum in
Smolyan. More information on
costumes in various regions and
the symbolic meaning of the
elements and the decorations
on them can be obtained in the
Bulgarian museums. Almost
each urban museum in the
country has an ethnographic
collection, which represents the
typical costumes of the region.
Extremely rich collections from
all over the country are stored
in the National Ethnographic
Museum at the Bulgarian
Academy of Science and the
National History Museum.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Bulgarian sports achievements - Athletics


Athletics
·         Stefka Kostadinova - World Record holder and 2 World Titles High Jump (1987, 1995)

Achievements and titles
1st (Atlanta, 1996)
Highest world ranking
1st (Rome, 1987)
Personal best(s)
High jump (outdoor): 2.09 m (World Record)
High jump (indoor): 2.06 m[1]
Medal record
Competitor for http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg.png Bulgaria
Gold
Silver
Gold
Gold
European Championships
Gold
High jump
Gold
High jump
Gold
High jump
Gold
High jump
Gold
High jump
Gold
High jump
Gold
High Jump
Gold
High Jump
Gold
High Jump
Gold
High Jump
Silver
High Jump

·         Yordanka Donkova - World Record holder and 1 World Title Hurdling (1988)

Year
Tournament
Venue
Result
Event
Extra
1980
semi-final
100 m hurdles
13.39 sec
1982
3rd
60 m hurdles
8.03
2nd
100 m hurdles
12.54
1984
3rd
60 m hurdles
8.09
1986
1st
100 m hurdles
12.38 CR
2nd
4 x 100 m
42.68
1987
1st
60 m hurdles
7.79
2nd
60 m hurdles
7.85
4th
100 m hurdles
12.49
1988
1st
100 m hurdles
12.38
5th
4 x 100 m
43.02
1989
1st
60 m hurdles
7.87
1992
3rd
60 m hurdles
8.03
3rd
100 m hurdles
12.70
1994
1st
60 m hurdles
7.85
3rd
100 m hurdles
12.93


·         Tereza Marinova

1996
World Junior Championships
1st
1997
6th
1998
3rd
2000
1st
15.20 PB
2001
1st
3rd
2002
1st
2006
6th

·         Petya Pendareva – sprinter

Year
Tournament
Venue
Result
Event
1994
6th
100 m
1998
6th
100 m
1999
6th
60 m
2000
2nd
60 m
2001
6th
60 m

·         Iva Prandzheva
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Notes
Representing http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg.png Bulgaria
1990
1st
Long jump
1993
3rd
Triple jump
1995
2nd
Triple jump
2nd
Triple jump
1996
1st
Triple jump
DSQ (drugs)
1999
2nd
Triple jump
3rd
Long jump
2000
3rd
Triple jump
3rd
Long jump