Year: 1869

From the cradle to the grave the Bulgarian
is haunted by strange customs and 0bservances.
such as are little known in Europe. When
child is born, the witch, who is present ofi-
cially, brings a reaping hook into the room,
and then proceeds to rub the infant all over
with salt, and to fumigate the room, in order
to drive away all intrusive evil spirits from the
mother and child. ..... .........as,


With the exception of this bath of salt, a
Bulgarian child is never washed until he at
tains the age of seven years; and, for the first
years OF his life, piece OF garlic Gin the case
of girl, one or two cOins) is tied upon his
head to preserve him from the evil eye


When young man wishes to marry, he
speaks to his parents, who arrange the matter
with those of the lady chosen, and s,caty are
sent to propose in due FORM the amount of
the corbeille is settled, as well as that of the
baseh parosi, or head money. presented by tho
suitor to the mother of the intended, and then
the cody or betrothal takes place. The young
man then brings in his presents, which consist
of various articles of feminine clothing, several
pairs of slippers, bracelets, earrings. head
dress, and necklace of gold and silver coins,
and silver girdle; the value of these offerings
is discurred by the father of the girl, and
fresh bargain ensues, the suitUr adding coin by
coin to the necklace till his future father-in-
law is satisfied.


With some rare exceptions these arrange
ments are by no means lOve-matches; the
young man wishes to establish himself as head
of household, and chooses wife as he would
yoke of butialoes, looking upon her as a ma
chine for labor, and the probable mother of
sons who will in time be able to work for him,
and whom he can beat as his father beat him,
until he became too strong to permit it-fOr
bulgarian son. when he grows up, makes no
scruple for returning with interest the blows
received from his father Thus the bride is
chosen, not for beauty of her more Or less Kali
muck features, but for the muscular strength
which will render her valuable as beast Of
burden.


During the week preceding the marriage,
which is always celebrated on Sunday, the
parents of bride and bridegroom prepare the
furniture, etc. of the n,endge, the girls of the
village dance before the house of the bride,
and the youths pay the same compliment to the
bridegroom. On the Friday before the mar
riage, the presents, hung on a cord. are exhlb-
tied on the brides house, and she herself has
her hair plated into ianumerable minute
tresscs: then she takes, for the first and last
time in her life, a complete bath. Horrible as
this statement may seem, 1t Is the literal truth.
Till the age of seven years a child must not be
touched with water, and although after that
period, the face, hands and feet may be washed,
the cleansing of the whole body would be chOk
gandh, great sin, and is nerer practlsed by
either male or female Bulgarians, with the
solitary exception mentioned.


On the eventful Sunday, when the papas
are ready and the ceremony takes place in the
church, if there be one, or otherwise in the
bridegrOoms house, and after the marriage,
the happy couple are led in procession to the
mansion of the brides father, where the young
girls dance, corn is sprinkled over the husband
and wife, and the latter, her face covered with
veil GOTTEN scarlet), kisses the hands of all
the married women of the village, receiving In
return n fig from each of them.


Then all the usual feasting goes on, and all
the guests drink more than is good for them,
and the married couple are shut up in their
own house for a week, during which time they
may neither go out nor receive visits.


When this period of imprisonment is over,
the married women fetch the bride, who car
ries two water-buckets to the fountain, round
which she walks three times, preceded by the
eldest of the women, then the contents of the
buckets are thrown over her, she kisses hands
all round, and again receives present of figs.


The same day she pays visit to her mother.
and is henceforth considered as a member of
the sisterhOod of married women.