Bulgaria earned a big deal of its reputation through the wine industry, which is dating from centuries ago. Bulgarians enjoy wine year round, but there is one particular month of the year when the entire nation celebrates in full blast the wine and its patron saint Trifon (also known as Trifon Zarezan). For vine-growers and wine-makers, Trifon Zarezan has become so popular, that it is celebrated in accordance with the old and with the new religious calendars. The old calendar stresses the date of February 1, but over the past years, February 14 has become the day of Trifon Zarezan. February 14, is also the day of St. Valentine and Bulgarians can choose whether to celebrate wine or love, or even both, on the same date. I would say that February 14-th is actually a celebration for the love of wine.

Early in the morning the lady of the house kneads some bread - unleavened or leavened. She also cooks a barnyard hen, which - following the tradition - is stuffed with rice or grouts (recipe follows at end of article). The hen is stewed in one piece and then roasted on a sachak (a kind of shallow copper pan). The loaf of bread, the hen and a wooden vessel (buklitza) full of wine are put in a new woolen bag and are given to the men. Women also knead special round loaves - a symbol of the fertile field, and generously hand them out to neighbors and relatives.

Every man, when stepping into his vineyard looks at the rising sun and makes the sign of the cross three times. Then he cuts three twigs from three different vines and washes the cut places with red wine, holy water and ashes from wood burnt on Christmas Eve. While pruning, everyone whispers blessings, whishing for an abundant harvest later in the year. The pruned twigs are twined into wreaths that men put on their hats, shoulders, or flasks, or taken home to put in front of the icon.

The participants of the celebration choose "The king" of Trifon Zarezan Day, who is crowned with a wreath of vine sticks and decorated by another garland - across his shoulders. He is seated on a cart. The vine-growers draw the cart and, accompanied by the sounds of bagpipes, rebecks and a drum, make their way to the village or town. When arriving there, they stop in front of each house. The respective hostess brings out wine in a white caldron, offers it first to the king to drink and then treats the people of his suite. The wine left in the caldron is thrown over the king, pronouncing at the same time a blessing: "May we have a good harvest! May it overflow thresholds!" The king answers this blessing with: "Amen". When arriving at his own house, the king changes his clothes and, still wearing the wreaths on his head and over his shoulders, sits at a long table to meet people from the whole village. That is why, as a rule, a well-to-do man is chosen to be the king of this festival.

As for the etymology of the name Trifon Zarezan, there are many different folklore versions. One of the most popular stories is that Trifon, just like the villagers, once had a vineyard. One day, when he was pruning his vineyard, the Virgin Mary passed by. Trifon laughed at her that she did not know who the father of her child was, so she condemned him to cut his nose with his pruning shears.

From then on, people called Trifon 'Zarezan' (the 'snub-nosed'). Even the icons depict St Trifon with pruning shears in hand, showing him to be honored as a patron of vineyards- one of the main symbols of fertility in Bulgarian folklore culture.

However, ethnographers are unanimous that St Trifon's celebrations are a remote reverberation of the ancient Dionysus festivities, and more precisely of the myth of King Lycurgus of Epirus who did not honor the god of wine and was punished by Dionysus, who inflicted him with madness.

Another folk legend goes that St Trifon was born in AD 225 in Phrygia in Asia Minor. He became famous at the age of 17 when he cured the daughter of the Roman Emperor Gordian. Unfortunately, Gordian was succeeded by Decius, who prosecuted Christians, and in AD 250 as a devoted Christian Trifon fell victim to Decius' prosecutions.

By Daphne Karcheva-Orris

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