Carol-Singing School
The Christmas carols and incantations in the Bulgarian folk tradition are performed by young men exclusively. By conducting the educational program, the team of the museum gives young people aged from14 to 18 years the opportunity to get acquainted with the festive rites including details of the carolling custom's symbolism.
The initiative was launched in 2017 as a kind of replica of the established School for Lazarki Girls. The Christmas carols and incantations in the Bulgarian folk tradition are performed by young men only. With the implementation of the Carol-Singing School, the team of the museum gives boys from 14 to 18 years of age the opportunity to get acquainted with the festive ritual including details of the carolling custom's symbolism, to learn carol songs and incantations with the help of museum specialists.
All participants in the Carol-Singing School educational program are also included in the re-enactment of the carol-singing custom of Koleduvane at the Etar Museum.
All participants in the Carol-Singing School educational program are also included in the re-enactment of the carol-singing custom of Koleduvane at the Etar Museum.
Koleduvane is the most important ceremony performed after midnight on Christmas Eve. According to Bulgarian popular wisdom, if carol singers fail to pass by, "the year will be barren" and everything will go wrong. That is why every family prepares to welcome them as the most cherished guests.
With the carol singers, fertility and well-being enter people's homes. The Christmas blessing is the ritual gift upon which the well-being of each family and the whole community as a whole depends. If the carol singers do not perform their ritual actions at the time determined by tradition, the year and the land would remain fruitless and barren. For nothing can be born without being conceived, for barren is what is not fecundated. With its magical rite, the carol company symbolically "fertilizes" the earth in order to guarantee bereket (good harvest), to keep the crops healthy, and to multiply the livestock.
With the carol singers, fertility and well-being enter people's homes. The Christmas blessing is the ritual gift upon which the well-being of each family and the whole community as a whole depends. If the carol singers do not perform their ritual actions at the time determined by tradition, the year and the land would remain fruitless and barren. For nothing can be born without being conceived, for barren is what is not fecundated. With its magical rite, the carol company symbolically "fertilizes" the earth in order to guarantee bereket (good harvest), to keep the crops healthy, and to multiply the livestock.
The carolling party always consists of an odd number of young single men. In popular wisdom, "a bachelor who has not sung carols is not a bachelor." People would look at such a guy with ridicule and no maiden wanted him. In the popular notions, carolling was a mandatory prerequisite for getting married. After marriage, men could no longer act as carol singers. An exception was made only for the leader of the company, who in most cases would be a family man, but an additional condition for him was to have at least one child.
The entire carolling group is called "kol", and carol singers are "kolove". The second most important member of the group is the music player. He follows the leader closely. The third kol is called the "cat" or "kot" and carries a saddlebag or bag for the blessed gifts. When the company enters a house, the "cat" meows thus signalling to the hosts to donate gifts to the carol singers. The next carol singer is called a "donkey". He wears saddlebags over his shoulder, in which donated Christmas buns are placed. During the tour and in the houses, he "roars like a donkey", "throws donkey kicks" and makes all kinds of donkey pranks. After the donkey, the "crosspiece" is another attribute of the rite. It is carried by a carol singer without a specific name, and donated kerchiefs, towels and tow are hung on it. The other carol singers are ranked by order of seniority and by order of entering the carolling company. At the back stand the youngest in the company – those carolling for the first time.
On Ignazhden (Feast of St. Igantius) the carol singers gather in Stanenika's home and begin to learn carols and incantations. On Christmas Eve, they dress in clean clothes, necessarily carry kols (sticks) and hooded cloaks, and put on fur caps decorated with strings of popcorn, red peppers, dried plums or raisins.
Every new carol singer has to make his own stick without anyone's help. This happens during the days of preparation between Ignazhden and Christmas. After the ceremony, all the sticks are stored in the leader's home and are not used for anything other than carol singing.
Every new carol singer has to make his own stick without anyone's help. This happens during the days of preparation between Ignazhden and Christmas. After the ceremony, all the sticks are stored in the leader's home and are not used for anything other than carol singing.
The carol singers leave for a detour exactly at midnight "when the sky opens up". They bless every house on their way, and the owners give them "what they have produced" — wheat, flour, fruits, wine, meat, salo, beans, black sausage. The Christmas incantations are diverse. The leader of the group decides what specific songs shall be performed in each home.
The carolling ends with a joint feast of carol singers. It is held at the home of the leader of the group on Christmas or on another day, but no later than Ivanovden (the Feast of St. John the Baptist). The rest of collected products are distributed to the poor.
In 2023, the latest edition of the educational program was implemented in partnership with the Municipality of Gabrovo, the Municipality of Tryavna, the Specialized Museum of Wood Carving and Photography – Tryavna, and in cooperation with Petko R. Slaveykov Secondary School (Tryavna), the Pencho Semov Vocational High School of Tourism (Gabrovo) and the National Aprilov High School.
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