by G.J. (8th Grade)

Every year, of course, we have a few Easter traditions. They’re not very complicated, and are very much deserving of a poem, but this I could not write (either because it is strictly effable in prose, or because I am of poor talent). On Palm Sunday, when the week begins, we’ll often have some sort of handbell concert at our church to celebrate this holiday. I tried to write a poem about this, but I could only think of one stanza:

Like a soldier at the pells
Do we fiercely chime our bells,
And thus is our music played
Like the clashing of a blade.

And it’s not even humorous or entirely accurate. Because it’s Palm Sunday, it’s also around the time you might see, say, people selling willow leaves, and giant Easter eggs out on display in the lawns of Orthodox Churches, which is apparently a very common sight in Sofia.

I don’t know much about Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but Thursday is the traditional Bulgarian date on which celebrators take up dyeing eggs. So, in the case of us SCAers, some of us will meet at our school during the Easter break to dye eggs with our teacher. It’s also a custom that you must dye the red egg first, and that by doing so your year will be graced with good health and success.

When it comes to Easter Sunday, practically the eighth day of the Easter week, I can’t tell you much other than personal experiences: those being more bell concerts. However, there are two other things that might interest you (the first is a fact, the second a warning): In the weeks surrounding the Easter event, Bulgarian grocery stores and supermarkets will be selling a type of bread called kozunak (which, to clarify, can also sometimes be homemade, but is allegedly best when acquired from the store Lidl). Kozunak is always sweet, coming in the forms of bread and cakes, and is common throughout Eastern Europe. The tastiest kind always has raisins.

The second thing that is meant to be said is this: beware the weather! This is the time of year when it can be sunny, hot, even blistering, one day, and then the next you’ll think you need five or six layers, an incredibly thick umbrella, and a canopy that follows you wherever you go, just to stay out of the rain on a walk to the metro.