Colors of Golden Sands - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

A true diamond of the Black Sea coast, Golden Sands traditionally attract numerous tourists because of its beneficial location, clean environment, and mineral springs. That is why locals are accustomed to a big number of guests and are always ready to help tourists. Moreover, different nations have mixed in this region since prehistoric times. There is a beautiful legend about the appearance of the resort. According to it, pirates dug a treasure to the north of Varna. That gold slowly turned into dust and then incredibly clean and beautiful sand. Bulgarians decided to name the area correspondingly and turned Golden Sands into the biggest resort in northern Bulgaria.

Local people are very communicative. They can easily talk on different subjects and like talking in general. They are also distinguished by a somewhat relaxed temper that people from northern countries may mistake for lack of commitment. That said, locals are definitely not irresponsible. If they promise something, they will surely do that. Besides that, locals try not to make promises if they are not sure they can accomplish them. Friendliness and openness are also typical features of local people. Locals are charming, so tourists are usually very pleased to communicate with them.

Family is the biggest treasure for every local. Big families are not rare in the country. Kids are cherished, and elders are always respected. Family arguments are very rare in Bulgaria. Local people are very upset about quarrels, so they try to compromise in order to escape them. It is also important to mention that local people always free seats in public transport for elder people. That is one more sign of respect. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Tourists who can speak English will have no communication problems at the resort. Staff in hotels and shops usually knows English. It might be, however, hard to understand elderly people. Among local specialties, don’t forget to try Shkembe Chorba (tripe soup with milk, oil, paprika, and spices), Tarator (cold milk soup with cucumbers, walnuts, garlic, and fennel), Kofta (meatloaf dish with spices), Shishi Kebab (kebab with red pepper and onion), and Crème Caramel (dessert containing fresh milk, eggs, and caramelized sugar).

As Bulgaria is an Orthodox county, religious holidays are very important and are always celebrated. Golden Sands is no exception. Badni Vecher (Christmas Eve), Koliada (Christmas Day), and Velikden (Easter) are the most important holidays at the resort town. For example, on Christmas Eve locals put an odd number of non-vegetarian dishes. They also necessarily make a special round-shaped bread loaf with a coin inside. According to a tradition, the bread is torn into chunks and a person who gets the coin is believed to be lucky the whole year.

Koliada or Christmas is the holiday, during which locals put on the national dress and move from one house to another, wishing all the best to hosts. For the New Year celebration, locals traditionally cook Banitsa – a pie made of flaky dough. During the cooking process, a coin is put into the pie. The whole ritual is similar to the Christmas Eve tradition with bread. As a part of the New Year celebrations, young people visit houses in their neighborhood holding survachki – branches of cornelian cherry. In accordance with an old tradition, the youth smack the hosts’ backs slightly with survachki and wish all the best. On Velikden or Easter, the first colored egg is put aside. Then the oldest woman in the house draws crosses on the foreheads of all children in the family and puts the egg in front of an icon.

Among festivals in Golden Sands, it is important to mention three popular contests. The first event lasts the whole June. It marks the official opening of the holiday season. This is the time when vacationers can attend numerous dancing, music, and theater performances, as well as interesting art exhibitions. In the middle of June, there is also one more interesting event, the International Children’s Festival. Besides a rich music and dancing program, it is possible to listen to classics performed by children and teenagers. The event takes place in the International Youth Center Serdika.

The third festival starts on the first week of August. Known as Golden Sands Days, this festival is considered one of the most famous events at the resort town. It is also a kind of culmination of smaller events and competitions that seem to never stop in summer. A visit to this festival is an excellent opportunity to not only enjoy fabulous music, theatrical performances, and dancing shows but also try various attractions, sunbathe, swim in the clean Black Sea, and explore local landmarks. The festival is famous for its friendly, family-like atmosphere that never ceases to attract all fans of quality vacations and make them wish to visit Golden Sands again.