Christmas

Bansko

138 (RSh) kogà kòlete prasèto

When do you slaughter pigs?

139 (a) emi kade kòleda

Well, at Christmas time.

140 (RSh) ama predì ili sled kòleda

Well, [does that mean] before or after Christmas?

142 (a) tò se pràvi i segà ku ìma prɛ̀snu da si kùpiš

It's done now too. If you can buy it fresh –

143 (a) i sà se pràvi i sàmu s mèsu

Now they do it too. It's only with meat ...

145 (a) mòže da se pràvi

... that you can do [Christmas properly].

243 (RSh) kàži k'è praznùvaxte kòleda

Tell us how you used to celebrate Christmas.

244 (a) kòledà le

Christmas?

246 (a) emì sà jàko ne jà sa praznuvàli [laughter]

Well, now, people didn't celebrate it a whole lot [laughter] –

247 (a) tàa vlàs amà pà de praznuvàlo sè e

this government [you know]. But still, it was celebrated.

248 (RSh) praznuvàlo se e praznuvàlo

It was celebrated. [Yes,] it was celebrated.

249 (a) rabòtte sì se e rabotìlu ama pà si sè e praznuvàlu

You go to work; people went to work, but they still celebrated.

250 (a) emì napràvea na kùpea maž'ètu mèsu naprài se zgòtvi se

So people made – men bought meat, we'd make – we'd cook

251 (a) jaxnìjə ә sùpa kapamà na pɤ̀rvu mɛ̀stu e kapamà

casseroles, or soup, or stew. At the top of the list was stew.

253 (a) na kòleda i na velìgden sɛ̀gda s'a napràve kapamà

At Christmas and at Easter people always make the stew.

255 (a) kapamà kat gu napràime i i drùgo vèč'e jaxnìja sùpa i

When we make the stew [there’s] also other [things] – casserole, soup, and

256 (a) i mezètta ut kapamàta i vìnu i rɤč'ìja è takà

and appetizers alongside the stew. And wine, and brandy, and all that.

Huhla 5

13 (a) kòl'edə vilègdèn s'ètne p'ètruvd'èn' i buguròdicə

Christmas, Easter, then St. Peter’s day, and then the feast of the Holy Virgin.

Iskrica 3

41 (c) kòledə nə gerg’òvden tr’àvə də zəkòlim àgənce tuvà bèše zəkòn tugàvə

On Christmas and St. George’s Day we slaughter lambs, that was the rule then

Kovačevo 1

105 (b) kət k’i pràat ùgləvàtə k’i za vilìden’ za

after they conclude the pre-engagement [they wait for a holiday like] Easter or

106 (b) bužìk li k’e e

Christmas

175 (b) zə bužìk’ zə kòl’edə tùk igràət zə vilìgden’

For “Bozhik” [that is,] for Christmas, they dance here. For Easter,

Nasalevci 2

43 (BR) kàk praznùvate kòleda

How do you celebrate “koleda” (Christmas)?

45 (BR) kòleda ìmate li takɤ̀f pràznik

Koleda – do you have such a holiday?

46 (a) kolèda pa kolèda božìč

Koleda, yes Koleda. “Bozhich” (Christmas).

47 (BR) kolèda

Koleda.

49 (BR) božìč kolèda takà

Bozhich, Koleda, fine.

51 (BR) ka kakvò pràvite

What do you do?

52 (a) kvò li pràimo

What do we do?

54 (a) na božìč pràimo takà mužjète dṛvà sečù kodžà

For Christmas we do the following. The men cut a great deal of wood

55 (GK) ot kɤdè

Where from?

56 (a) ìdat na dṛvnìk nalì dokàraju se dṛvà mlògo

They go to the chopping block. They’ve brought in a lot of wood.

57 (GK) kəkvì

[From] which kind [of trees]?

58 (a) e pa dṛvà dlɤ̀ga è iz gorùtu gòre s volòve dokàraju

Well, wood! Long pieces, from the forest up there. They bring them in using oxen.

63 (a) i [laughter] i gi dokàraju tùka u dvòrɤt i na kòledu sečù dṛvà

And [laughter] and they bring [the wood] into the yard here and cut it up for Christmas.

71 (a) i sečù dṛ̀và nasečù pùno a ženète mèsu omèsu pogàču

They cut the wood – a lot of it. And the women do baking. They make “pogacha”,

72 (a) kolačè kolačèta omèsu za decà koledarì ìma pa doòdu

buns – they make little buns for the children. There are carolers, who come by –

76 (a) s kvasɤ̀c se omèsi kolačèta pa drùgo drùgo pogačè sa tùri

You put leavening into the buns, but for a small “pogacha” it’s different. You put –

77 (a) pàj pogàča pa u n’èga se tùri parà

again for the “pogacha” – in those, you put in pieces of money.

78 (GK) əmhəm parà

Uh huh. Money.

79 (a) dvàese stotìnk’i li su dèset li se tùru tàm

They put in [a coin] of twenty stotinki, or ten, or whatever.

80 (GK) dèset lèva

Ten levs.

81 (f) kòlko ìskaš

As much as you want.

86 (GK) tùri se parà

So you put in money –

87 (a) i se mèsi mèsi tùri se paràta i se mèsi mèsi

And you knead it. You put in money and knead it, knead it,

88 (a) umèsi se ùbavo i pòsle se pogàčata tùri da uzbùne

knead it up to be nice, and then put the “pogacha” aside to puff up.

89 (a) i ka uzbùne podìgne i se tùri ta se pečè

And when it puffs up, and rises, you put it in to bake.

91 (a) u crèpn’utu u crèpn’u dà i se ispečè pogàčata

In a baking dish. Yes, in a baking dish. And the “pogacha” bakes up.

92 (a) i nà i zel’ànik se omèsi kolačèta takà se omèsu

And you make banitsa with greens, and they make up little buns

93 (a) pa se takà prekṛ̀stu i takvàja dečìca

and they make the sign of the cross over them and then children –

94 (a) momčèta nè momìčeta ìdu

the boys, but not the girls, come –

96 (a) nàjutro dòjdu im se dadè po ednò kolačènce i onì pojù kolèdo kolèdo

they come in the morning. They’re given a bun each and they sing “Koledu, Koledu”.

100 (a) dà koledarì na momčètata tàmo momìčeta pa làzarica ka dòjde

Yes, koledari. That’s the boys. And the girls are “Lazar-singers”. When they come …

134 (a) tì vidè tàm sàmo tovà e màlko i natùra svè na n’èga

You saw one there, except it was small. So she puts everything on it.

135 (a) postèl’e se nàzeme slàma ozgòre se tùri čèrga

They spread straw on the floor, and put a rug on top of it [and everyone]

136 (a) i kòlko dùši su tè nasèdaju takà stàrci svèkɤr svekɤ̀rva

however many people there are sit there - elders, father-in-law, mother-in-law,

137 (a) momčè tìja onìja i nasèdaju i kojà e mesìl’ata mesì

son, and everyone – they sit there, and the one who’s the head kneader, she made

138 (a) natùra u krùgɤt i nesè i slòži na postèl’utu

[the breads] puts it all on the breadboard, carries it in, and lays it on the cloth

139 (a) i ùznu kandìlo kandìlo znàeš li ga kandìlo

And they take a “kandilo” (candle-dish). Kandilo – do you know what a kandilo is?

151 (a) ama zeml’àno e pa e napràeno takà ìma dṛ̀ščica

Well, it’s earthenware, and it’s made like – it’s got a handle,

152 (a) i tùra se žàr i tùra se tevn’àn

and you put in coals, and put in incense

153 (a) i kòj e čorbadžìja pòstar stàne i takà

And the one who’s the head of things, the oldest, stands up and –

155 (a) tùri malkò žàr

and puts a few coals –

156 (c) nàj stàrija čovèk

The oldest person.

158 (c) nàj stàrija čovèk u sèloto

The oldest person in the village.

159 (a) kvò kàžat tìja

What do they say?

163 (a) e nàj stàrijɤ de nàj stàrijɤ bòk’e

Well, yes, the oldest! The oldest one, [that’s] Bokye.

165 (a) i tùri takòva žàr i takà i onò ča takò e

And he puts the coals [into the candle dish] and it – like that –

166 (a) pa i onò izlèzne kato pùšak

and then smoke comes out,

168 (a) obikòli ga trì puti i ko pòp pročetì

and he takes it around three times like the priest when he chants

170 (a) kvò pročetì tàm i stàva vèče i rèže

what he chants. Then he stops and makes the cut.

171 (GK) režè kakvò

What does he cut?

172 (a) rèže kolàčɤt

He cuts the bun (the Christmas bread).

174 (a) odrèže ga

He cuts it

176 (a) i sčùpi od n’èga ta tùri na tṛ tàm

and breaks a piece off and puts it on the – there

178 (a) na postèl’k’utu pòsle pogàčutu pàj takà prerèže

on the cloth spread out, then he cuts the Christmas bread again

179 (a) i parèto tràžimo

and we all look for money [in it].

181 (a) ali se slòži parè tàm i se tràži parèto lèbɤt se načùpi

They’d put money there, right? So you search for money and break the bread

182 (a) načùpi kòj ga nàjde bogàt stàva razbrà li

You break the bread and whoever finds [the money] will be rich. Get it?

Skrŭt 3

4 (GK) e pa za pràznici mòže da mi kažùvaš

Well, you can tell me about holidays,

5 (GK) kàk ste vasìl’ovden jordànovden

[about] how you [celebrated] St. Basil’s day, [or] St. Iordan’s day …

6 (f) emi kato segɤ̀

Well, like now!

7 (GK) božìk

… [or] Christmas …

10 (f) i tugàj kato segà božìk bɤ̀dni.vèčer si pràim

Back then was like now. [For] Christmas, we make – on Christmas Eve we –

11 (f) sutrintà kòj kolè prasèto kòj na prɤ̀vio dèn’

In the morning someone slaughters a pig, some on the first day,

12 (f) kòj na ftòrio dèn’ postà si pòstat togàj pòstejme

some on the second day. And they do the fast – back then we fasted

13 (f) càla pòs mrɤ̀sno ne edèjme na božìk k’i se omrɤ̀sim

the entire fast period: we didn’t eat any fat. On Christmas we’ll break the fast.

14 (f) k’i čèkame da dòim ot crɤ̀kva i što ìma fkàštə

We’ll wait till we get back from church, and then [with] whatever’s in the house,

15 (f) k’e napràime jàdene mrɤ̀sno nèšto i k’e àjde prasèto k’e se zakòli

we’ll make a dish with fat in it. Then it’s time to slaughter a pig.

26 (f) nì vilìgden’ se znàe kogà e nì bužìk kòj kogà nàe

People don’t even know when Easter is, or Christmas. Whenever anyone finds [something],

39 (f) pòstim na boži na vilìgden’ jà na božìk ìnače nèma

And we fast, at Chr-, at Easter– no, at Christmas. And otherwise nothing.

62 (f) pòkladi zapòstuvame za bož za božìk tòe dèn’ ùslet saà se vèk’e

Shrovetide – we start the fast for Chr- for Christmas. From that day on one’s already

63 (f) dnèska zapòstuva se za božìk kòlko vrème sa pòsti

started to fast for Christmas [for] how [ever] much time the fast is.

66 (f) i k’i zapòstim na božìk togàj gi fàtim za vilìgden’

And we’ll start the fast. At Christmas we start it then. And at Easter

Vasiljovo 1

39 (a) najad’è̝m sa stànat ta si ìdat è pa koto dòdeše kòl’eda

We eat our fill, [then] they get up and go home. And when Christmas came,

40 (a) m’èsvame pa krəvàje m’èsvat krəvàj l’àp t’àsto zamèsile

we make “kravay” (ring-shaped buns). They kneaded bread dough

41 (a) m’èsim krəvài i go nòsat na baštàta i na màjkata

and we make “kravay” and they take it to [their] mothers and fathers.

42 (a) kòjto vèke kakvòto dadè̝ màjka mi baštà mi

Whatever anyone [makes] they give to [their] mother and father.

43 (a) še im dadà sas krəvài na màjkatə i na baštàtə

They give it along with the “kravay”, to their mother and their father.

Vladimirovo 2

29 (a) dèk sme go klàle na na kòleda

that we[’d have] slaughtered at – at Christmastime.

Main menu

Christmas

Bansko

Huhla 5

Iskrica 3

Kovačevo 1

Nasalevci 2

Skrŭt 3

Vasiljovo 1

Vladimirovo 2

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