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Na visok vrah Bakadjik

South from the Balkan Mountains, in the middle of Thrace, the beautiful city of Yambol lies, and not far off a rising called Bakadjik is located.

For lots of years its slopes have been filled by the ringing of the mummer's bells, by twisted, graceful ring dances, by the sad tunes of the shepherd's pipe.

However, this is this only one melody kept by the generations, which nowadays is the anthem of the entire Yambol region.

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Aramii

a male dance from the Pirin Mountains

The most respected and admired men during the Ottoman slavery used to be the rebels.

They used to be the only protectors of the underdogs and they to disobey each kind of foreign will and law.

In the country of Pirinska Macedonia the most famous songs and legends are the ones about the reckless rebels, the so-called "aramii".

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Zenski Shopski Tanc

On the day of Lazar, the nicest female spring holiday in Bulgaria, single girls used to get together and to practice a ritual called "Lazaruvane".

They used to enter each house, singing and dancing, and to wish health, happiness and wealth during the year to the householders and their families.

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Na Vrabnica

A mixed dance from the North of Bulgaria

Tsvetnitsa (also called Vrabnitsa) is one of the most respected Christian holidays.

On that day the girls used to throw wreaths into the near river and the young men tried to get them out, where everybody used to look for his beloved's wreath.

The holiday used to finish on the center-square of the village, where the young pairs used to exchange the wreaths with each other and to show their love to the public, surrounded by lots of jokes, dances, songs and joy.

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Two miniatures

thracian folk songs

а) "Zagukala e gugutka"
б) "More ogreiala"
This is a medley of two jocular songs, where a young man "steals" his darling and, instead of marrying her, takes her to his fellows making her fill their glasses with brandy and wine...

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Ruchenica

thracian mixed dance

By tradition, each Bulgarian holiday ends with plenty of dances and joy. The best way of doing this is the most popular Bulgarian folk dance called "ruchenitsa".