site.btaBanat Bulgarians in Romania Celebrate Lazarus Saturday with Ancient Rituals
On March 12, Lazarus Saturday, Banat Bulgarians from Dudestii Vechi and Brestea in Romania performed an archaic tradition where girls up to 12 years old, dressed in folk costumes and carrying baskets visited relatives and neighbours while singing traditional songs to announce the resurrection of Lazarus. In return, they received treats, money and raw eggs - a symbol of new life.
Three generations of women praising traditions, gathered at the Bulgarian House in Brestea to sing and receive gifts, Petronela Shehabi from the Bulgarian minority newspaper Nasa Glas told BTA.
Catholic women from the Bulgarian minority in Banat have specific folk costumes that can weigh up to 20 kilograms. They are sewn entirely by hand and have at least ten ornamented parts. The costumes and even the shoes are recognizable because they abound in gold and silver, sequins and beads in all shapes and colours.
The Bulgarians of Banat are Bulgarian Catholic immigrants. They use the Latin script rather than Cyrillic and speak an old dialect of Bulgarian from the 17th century.
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