Seasonal Living in Sofia: Rituals That Mark the Turning of the Year

A City Reveals Itself Through Its Calendar

A city reveals itself through its calendar. Not the official one, with its bank holidays and long weekends, but the quieter one: the rhythm of what people do when the seasons shift, the small gestures that mark time passing.

Sofia has both. And for those who arrive from elsewhere, learning the second calendar takes longer than learning the streets. It requires attention, and a willingness to notice what locals do without explaining.

The Red-and-White Threads of March

On the first of March, something changes. Wrists that were bare yesterday now carry small ornaments of red and white thread. Lapels, too. Handbags. Stroller handles. The city looks like it dressed itself overnight.

This is Baba Marta, Bulgaria's welcome-to-spring day, named after a mythical grandmother whose moods determine the weather. When she smiles, the sun comes out. When she sulks, late snow sweeps through. The red-and-white charms, called martenitsi, are meant to please her, to coax warmth from the stubborn Balkan winter.

The tradition runs deep. UNESCO inscribed it in 2017 as intangible cultural heritage, shared with Romania and North Macedonia. But in Sofia, it feels less like heritage and more like habit: colleagues exchange them at the office, grandmothers press them into children's palms, street vendors appear on every corner with baskets full of Pizho and Penda, the paired white-and-red dolls that have become the tradition's most recognisable form.

The ritual has an ending, too. You wear your martenitsa until you see the first stork flying north, or the first tree in bloom. Then you tie it to a branch. By late March, certain trees in the city centre look like they've grown red-and-white leaves.

The Vegetarian Vigil of Christmas Eve

Winter brings a different kind of ritual. On December 24, known as Badni Vecher, Bulgarian families gather for a meal that surprises most newcomers: it is entirely plant-based.

The tradition marks the end of a 40-day Orthodox fast, and the table must hold an odd number of dishes, usually seven, nine, or eleven. Stuffed peppers with rice. Sarmi, grape leaves wrapped around seasoned grains. Bean soup. Dried fruit compote called oshav. Walnuts, which are cracked and examined: a full, healthy nut means a good year ahead.

A round loaf of bread sits at the centre, with a coin baked inside. The oldest person at the table breaks it, handing pieces around. Whoever finds the coin is said to have fortune on their side.

What strikes visitors most is what happens after. The table stays set through the night, untouched until morning. Some families leave extra glasses of wine, an offering to ancestors who might cross the threshold while the household sleeps. The veil between worlds, the belief goes, is thinnest on this night.

The Red Eggs of Easter

Orthodox Easter, called Velikden (literally "Great Day"), falls on a different date than its Western counterpart, following the Julian calendar. In 2026, it lands on April 12.

The week before is called Holy Week, and by Thursday, kitchens across Sofia are busy with eggs. The first egg must be dyed red, symbolising the blood of Christ. While still warm, the oldest woman in the household uses it to draw a cross on the foreheads of children, a gesture meant to protect them through the year.

Времето в София се брои не в дни, а в ритуали.

The rest of the eggs can be any colour, decorated with wax patterns or stickers, but red remains dominant. On Easter Sunday, families gather after midnight services, greeting each other with "Hristos Voskrese" (Christ has risen) and the reply "Voistina Voskrese" (Indeed, he has risen). Then comes the egg-tapping game: two people knock their eggs together, and whoever's egg survives uncracked is said to have good fortune ahead.

Living by the Quieter Calendar

These rituals are not performances for tourists. They happen in apartments and courtyards, in office break rooms and family kitchens. They mark time in a way that no smartphone calendar can.

For those who have moved to Sofia from elsewhere, participating is not required. But noticing is worth the effort. When a colleague offers you a martenitsa in March, or when the supermarket shelves fill with red egg dye in April, or when the city goes quiet on Christmas Eve, you are seeing something older than the buildings around you.

A city's rhythm is not just its traffic and its opening hours. It is also the things people do together, year after year, without needing to explain why.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is Baba Marta celebrated, and what are martenitsi?

A: Baba Marta falls on March 1 every year. Martenitsi are small red-and-white thread ornaments exchanged between friends and family, worn until the first signs of spring appear, then tied to a blossoming tree.

Q: What makes Bulgarian Christmas Eve different from Western traditions?

A: Badni Vecher on December 24 features an entirely plant-based meal with an odd number of dishes (7, 9, or 11). The table stays set overnight as an offering to ancestors, and a coin hidden in the bread predicts fortune for whoever finds it.

Q: When is Orthodox Easter in Bulgaria, and what are the main traditions?

A: Orthodox Easter follows the Julian calendar; in 2026 it falls on April 12. Key traditions include dyeing eggs red on Holy Thursday, the midnight "Hristos Voskrese" greeting, and the egg-tapping game where the last uncracked egg signals good luck.