“School for Koledari” in Etara and Tryavna reenacts Christmas caroling tradition

At the Etara Open-Air Ethnographic Complex in Gabrovo, students from the “School for Carolers” will reenact the traditional Christmas Caroling custom. The performances for museum visitors will take place on December 26 at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

On the following day, December 27, the custom will be reenacted in the nearby town of Tryavna at 11:30 a.m.

In 2025, three caroling groups are being trained at the museum’s “School for Carolers,” involving a total of 33 boys.

The initiative for this training began in 2017. In Bulgarian folk tradition, Christmas carols (koledarski pesni) and ritual blessings are performed exclusively by young men. The museum’s team provides an opportunity for boys aged 14 to 18 to become familiar with festive ritual practices, the details and symbolism of the Christmas Caroling custom, and to learn carols and blessings with the help of museum specialists.

Read also:

The magic of Christmas – from the ancient blessings of carolers to the appearance of Santa Claus in our lands

Edited by Miglena Ivanova
English version: Rositsa Petkova