On April 11th, the Orthodox church celebrated the holiday known as Lazarovden, is a moveable holiday which is almost everytime in the Saturday before Easter Sunday.

In the calendar of the Christian church, this holiday is also connected with one of the most exciting holy texts – the rebirth of Lazarus, who lived in Bethany near Jerusalem.

According to the Bulgarian tradition, Lazarovden – also known as “Lazaritsa”, “Lazarova sabota” – is the day that marks the transition in maidens between a girl and a young woman fit to be married.

On this day, several groups of girls aged between 10 and 16 (“lazarki”), dressed in their best holiday clothes or wedding costumes adorned with wreathes and bunches of flowers go around the village. They visit each house and singe praises to everyone in the family, including children and the eldrely, women and men, and Bulgarians of all professions.

The owners of each visited home gave them eggs and money.

Old sayings state that any house visited by lazarki will prosper throughout the year.