Chestita Nova Godina

Happy New Year!

Here in Bulgaria, New Year’s is by far the most popular and festive of the days in the holiday season. Even all the symbols that are usually associated with Christmas, like snowmen, Christmas trees, and bells have a big “ЧНГ 2009!” slapped over them. It’s most likely a holdover from Communist times, when religious expression was discouraged. Even so, it makes for a pretty awesome celebration these days…

I spent most of my time on New Year’s Eve at the orphanage, where I played games inside and watched a movie with the younger kids until their dinner time. The kids were treated with a “special meal” (special in the sense that it was food that most people would consider a normal meal, so a big deal for the kids), consisting of kyuftes (spiced sausage patties), chicken, and a traditional yogurt and cucumber salad, all of which they were excited about and scarfed down in no time.

After dinner with the younger kids, it was time to go upstairs for the older kids’ celebration. They had already eaten their big meal, and the party was underway, with loud chalga music blasting throughout the halls. There was kyuchek (Roma dance that is basically like belly dancing mixed with pelvic thrusting) and horo (traditional Balkan circle dance) for hours.

Then the big moment came – the clock struck midnight and the real madness began. When I say the new year started with a bang, I don’t mean in the cliché metaphorical sense. No… I mean it was a battleground out in the streets with kids, and sometimes their parents, tossing firecrackers at each other and then screaming like mad to get out of the way. There was a massive fireworks display in the center, much more than I expected from this sleepy town of 6000ish. I’m pretty sure that the smell of gunpowder will hang in the air at least until next new year.

Today, actual New Year’s Day, I woke up to the sounds of even more firecrackers and cheering outside the window. Then a stream of kids with what can only be described as “elaborately decorated sticks” started showing up at my door. This tradition is much like Trick-or-Treating in the States, in that kids show up and you give them a small gift or some candy or something. It’s different in that instead of dressing up in costumes to do this, they hit you with a stick and then demand that you give them something. In return, they give you good luck wishes for the new year. A good time for everyone involved!

Next week it’s “back to the grind” and I’ll have my full schedule once again (preschool in the morning, dom in the afternoon, and horo class or tutoring or band practice at night). School starts back up on the 5th, and all the kids that left the orphanage for the holiday season will be back. I’ll be starting my groups back up, and probably starting back at square one because of the long break. No big deal… It’s the season for starting over anyways. Everyone gets a clean slate. Everyone gets another chance.

Честита нова година! Много здрав и късмет и да дойдат много повече весели години!

Until next time…