Trifon Zarezan - Bulgaria’s Valentine’s Day | by tania kapoor | Ogan Decor | @deep.look.ny
While most of the world is celebrating St Valentine’s Day with roses and chocolates, on February 14, Bulgarians celebrate St. Trifon Zarezan (Trifon/Tryphon the Pruner) the patron of vine growers and wine makers.
Not that they haven’t adopted the more commercial St Valentine’s Day too, but celebrating vines and wines is a very important part of Bulgarian culture and tradition.
Trifon Zarezan Day traditionally, was the year’s first day of work in the vineyards that snake across the Bulgarian countryside. It is about the cutting of unnecessary branches from the vines at the beginning of February and preparing them for the upcoming season.
Women make bread and roasted chicken stuffed with rice. The bread, and chicken with some wine is what each man going to the vineyard carries with him. When the vines are being pruned, wine is being poured on the soil for fertility. After the pruning, each village appoints a Wine King who wears a wreath made from the pruned vine sticks. the Wine King and a priest then bless the vineyards and wish successful harvest to all vine growers and wine makers. At the end, everyone gets together at the Wine King’s home and celebrates the day with a lot of food, wine and traditional music.
The legend goes that Trifon was the brother of Virgin Mary. Trifon was pruning the vines one day, when Virgin Mary passed by on her way to prayer with newborn Jesus in her arms. Trifon laughed at her for having a divine child. Virgin Mary went to Trifon’s village and told his wife that he had had his nose cut at the vineyard. Trifon’s wife rushed to the vineyard to see her husband. Trifon laughed and explained that this was impossible because he was holding his pruning shears pointed downwards and not upwards toward his face. As he jokingly moved the pruning shears upwards, he accidentally cut his nose. The day is named after Trifon Zarezan (zarezan means the cut, the pruned one in Bulgarian).
Most wineries in Bulgaria still follow this ritual and observe St. Trifon Day in this way.
