Tryphon Stabbed — festival of winegrowers in Bulgaria (14/02)

The holiday dedicated to Tryphon Zarezan has its roots in ancient times, when the Bulgarian lands were inhabited by the tribes of Thracians, who revered Dionysus — the god of wine and vines more than all the gods. The ancestors of modern Bulgarians who came to the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in the 7th century adopted the Thracian traditions of winemaking and viticulture. The pagan traditions were subsequently superimposed in the popular consciousness by the festival of winegrowers.

It is a feast in honor of the Christian priest Tryphon, who was executed in Nicaea in 250. According to legend, on the day of the execution, all the country's vineyards were attacked by insects, and the winegrowers called on Saint Tryphon to protect them.

According to tradition, on this day the vines were pruned to get a large harvest in the fall, which is why Saint Tryphon in Bulgaria is called Zarezan (Cut). Now St. Tryphon's Day is celebrated not only by winegrowers, but also by gardeners, gardeners and owners of wine taverns.

On February 14, Bulgarian housewives get up at sunrise. They simmer and fry chicken filled with rice in a sachak (shallow copper frying pan) and pour — bouclitz — homemade wine into a special wooden vessel. They put everything together with homemade bread in a new bag made of wool, and the owner of the house, throwing the bag over his shoulder, goes to the vineyards, where all the other men of the village are already gathering. From this moment the celebration begins.

After Tryphon, spring comes, and winegrowers will no longer have the opportunity to relax like that and gather in cheerful company. Therefore, for three days in Bulgarian villages there has been smoke from a rocker arm, and there is a noisy celebration. In the vineyard, the men shade themselves with a cross, each of them taking a garden knife and cutting off three branches from three large vines. Then, having crossed themselves again, they pour the wine they brought with them onto the vines. After this, the election of the king of the vineyards begins. A crown of vines is placed on the king's head, and a garland of grapes is thrown over his shoulder. He sits on a cart pulled by the winegrowers themselves.

When it reaches the village, this procession walks the streets, stopping in front of each house. The mistresses take out the wine in a white vessel and offer to drink first to the king and then to all participants in the procession. The king throws the remains of the wine over his shoulder amid general cries: «Let our harvest be rich! Let our house be a full cup!». The king replies: «Amen».

The procession reaches the house of the vineyard king, where he, having changed clothes and left a wreath and a garland, sits at the head of a lushly set table, to which all the villagers are invited. The king is chosen from the wealthy so that he can feed everyone in the area. Wine on this day flows like a river: according to legend, the new wine will be the same as what was served at the table on Tryphon the Slaughtered.

On the second day of the holiday, lighter foods and large quantities of — compotes and brine are served so that men can recover from what they drank the day before. The next two days are honored as providing protection from wolves. All this time, women do not cut with scissors to prevent the wolf’s mouth from opening, do not knit, do not sew. They bake ritual bread and put pieces of it in livestock feed to protect livestock and people from predators.

In a number of regions of the country, the Tryphon Zarezan Festival is celebrated on February 1 (old style).

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