February 14th is a special day here in Bulgaria. We celebrate St Trifon Zarezan (also known as Trifon the Pruner), the patron saint of winegrowers. He was a martyr from the mid-third century. The day was originally celebrated on 1st February but is now on 14th February. The date changed when most religions adopted the Gregorian calendar from the mid-sixteenth century onwards, replacing the Julian calendar that was established by Julius Caesar around 40 years BC. The Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
Practices associated with this very important day for viticulturists vary in different villages and parts of the country. Traditionally special bread was made and the men of the village were sent ceremoniously to the vineyards to begin pruning the vines. This is the practice that is universally undertaken, the whole purpose of the day. It marks the end of winter and the coming of spring. It is about maximising the grape harvest, invoking the gods to smile kindly on the vineyards. The men would turn to the sun and make the sign of the cross three times, they would wear special garments and head decorations, they would pour wine and holy water into the ground to feed the roots – and also use the ashes from their Christmas eve fires. The day would end with singing, dancing and of course the drinking of wine! Thus in some ways it dovetails nicely with the St. Valentine celebrations, and Bulgarians now mostly observe both.
The origins of the celebrations go back to the ancient Greeks and their worship of Dionysus, the god of wine drinking and wine making. But he didn’t stop there – he was also the god of insanity, ecstasy and fertility, so again, quite an appropriate mix. Like many festivals, the celebration of St Trifon has become a blend of pagan and Christian practices.
This year the sun is shining and I hope to be able to subject my grapevines to a bit of pruning. This proposed flurry of activity will be largely symbolic, and justification for opening a lovely bottle of red wine later. Sadly not Chateau Avren by Ceco and Del – my brother-in-law and I’s attempts at wine making last year were not very successful. Maybe I should have adhered more to the rituals.
Nazdrave!! [Наздраве!]
Psychologist on the Move 