The start of the gathering of the famous rose has traditionally been celebrated with festivals in Bulgaria. This year, a record number of foreign guests arrived at the end of May. Unlike in previous years, the holiday started not in the town of Karlovo, but in the fields, dotted with flowering rose bushes. The first buds were picked by 16-year-old beauty Anna-Maria - the new Rose Queen of Karlovo, chosen the day before by a solid jury.
Then the holiday continued with a carnival procession through the streets of the town. According to tradition, the mayor presented the Rose Queen with the festival symbol - a flower made of 24-karat gold. And Anna-Maria, in a rose carriage,led the colorful procession through the streets filled with admiring spectators.
The festival in the Bulgarian "Rose Valley" has been held for over 120 years, but the Society of Sheep Breeders began to organize holidays in their honor only 12 years ago. The next National Assembly of the Association of Sheep Breeders and Goat Breeders (NOKA) was held near the Petropavlovsky Monastery near the town of Lyaskovets from May 24 to 26. To the sounds of bagpipes, a ceremony was held there to drive away evil spirits and attract good luck by dancers dressed in sheepskins.
For three days, animals, equipment, and sheep breeding products were demonstrated on the fairground. And nearby,ethnic groups entertained the festival guests with songs and dances in the traditional style of local shepherds. At the same time, representatives of the European Commission evaluated the originality of the performers in order to present them with prizes in the nominations "Folk Singing", "Dance Art" and "Folk Instruments". Thus, the only one of its kind was noted - a type of folk art associated with sheep breeding.
Blogs
