A Guide to Bulgarian Culture and Marriage

If you want to travel to a unique country and experience its rich culture, then consider visiting Bulgaria. This Balkan nation has a varied landscape, including the Black Sea coastline, a mountainous interior, and several rivers, including the Danube. With influences from Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian cultures, the country is rich in traditional arts and crafts. Sofia, the capital and largest city, is located on the Vitosha mountain and has been inhabited since the 5th century B.C.

Unlike most languages, Bulgarian has a huge vocabulary that describes family relationships. There are words for uncles and aunts in every dialect, and the vocabulary extends beyond those close to the speaker. The verbs and adjectives are commonly used in daily conversation and are the main parts of sentences in Bulgarian. The language also has a large number of words for other relatives such as siblings, parents, and grandparents. Although these are just a few examples of the richness of the language, it may help you improve your communication skills.

In Bulgaria, most people marry according to their own choice, although families do exert pressure on their choice of spouses. For example, Gypsies and Pomaks arranged marriages, but today, couples are legally married following a civil ceremony. In addition to a civil ceremony, many couples opt to have a religious ceremony. In Bulgaria, marriage is monogamous and partners must be from the same ethnic group. Divorce is less common now, but divorce rates were lowered during the post-socialist era.

Ethnic Bulgarians tend to have single-parent families, so that they can devote more resources to their children’s education and well-being. Some families have grandparents who look after young children. During the post-socialist era, marriage rates dipped. In the 1990s, the uncertainty of postsocialist rule caused many Bulgarians to divorce their partners. However, this stigma is fading, and the culture of separation is gaining more acceptance and understanding.

Most Bulgarians marry according to their own choice, although family members can exert pressure on the choice of a spouse. In the post-socialist era, the majority of Bulgarians choose to marry outside their ethnic groups. While it is still rare to divorce in the postsocialist era, divorce rates in the country have declined in the past ten years. The same is true for marriage. But in the early years after the dissolution of communism, a few young people were even encouraged to stay in their relationships.

Bulgarians are typically monogamous and have one child. In this situation, families are able to focus more resources on their children’s education and health. As a result, children may attend state-run kindergartens or private kindergartens. The children of both sexes are usually looked after by grandparents. In postsocialist Bulgaria, divorce rates were declining. Currently, divorce rates are relatively low and the number of families has grown.