Christmas in Bulgaria- from Vratsa

In the past in Bulgaria the newly married woman in the family had to get the whole dinner ready. She had to get up early, before daybreak. The preparation of the dishes (all vegetarian) took almost a whole day. The woman used to begin with preparing the ritual round loaf of bread, being decorated with different elements made of dough symbolizing all the living creatures in that house. So each one could get to know something about himself. The traditional leek pastry was prepared with cornel buds as fortunes indicating health, wealth and fertility. It was known in advance what each one of the fortunes was intended for. A white beans meal with many seasonings, sauerkraut leaves and peppers stuffed with rice were prepared too, all cooked with oil as people fasted until Christmas Day. The custom required the preparation of stewed dried fruits. Some juice of them was mixed with a little ground garlic. Everyone in the family tasted a teaspoon of it with the wish for good health throughout the year coming. The other members of the family had to clean the house thoroughly, the yard and all buildings used by them. After all was put in order and ready, everyone prepared himself for the Christmas Eve itself putting on their new clothes, while the young people trimmed the Christmas tree. The eldest one in the family brought some straw into the house and on the tablecloth, there were placed the dishes, this symbolizing the Nativity. On this day the whole family gathers, eat on straw and get off the table in the same time. The dishes are left on the table for the night. It is believed that the dead relatives will come to dine too.
In the past there were boys and non-married young men who were visiting the houses, singing carols for wealth and health for the hosts. They were rewarded with money, food and so on. They were bringing long sticks to put kravai (round bread with holes in it). The boys were called koledaris. Nowadays Bulgarians decorate a Christmas tree as all the other Europeans do.