site.btaFirst Edition of Traditions, Crafts Festival Held in Petrich

The first edition of the Traditions and Crafts Festival took place in Petrich on Sunday, with over a hundred participants taking part and recreating various folk customs and traditions, the organizers said.

The festival aims not only to preserve, but also to popularize the rich cultural heritage of Bulgaria, especially among the younger generations, said Kristina Razhdanova, Chair of the Branishte Project Foundation and organizer of the event. She expressed hope that the format will be successful and that the festival will become part of the cultural life of Petrich Municipality.

The festival included workshops related to local crafts and customs. The Petrich Histroy Museum organized an archaeological workshop for making coins from Heraclea Sintica, while the Directorate of the Belasitsa Nature Park organized educational activities for children and adolescents related to the Belasitsa Mountain.

The local Vocational High School of Economics and Tourism showed how to churn milk, how to make buttermilk and how to pound rice, as well as the traditions of the village of Gabrene related to weaving. The Yane Sandanski National Community Centre from the village of General Todorov organized a wool-picking workshop. 

A separate workshop for wax products was also organized, within which the festival guests were introduced to the process of extracting honey. In a tahini workshop, visitors saw different types of tahini and learned how to prepare them. The Bratya Miladinovi Community Centre showed visitors beautiful handmade folk costumes. Guests from Chirpan also joined the festival by presenting lavender and crafts related to its processing.

The Traditions and Crafts Festival is organized by the Branishte Project Foundation with the support of the Petrich Municipality and is part of the festive programme to mark Petrich Day on May 6. The festival is being implemented for the first time within the framework of the Voice of Young Bulgarians project, which is funded by the Youth and Sports Ministry.