1. Comenius Project
2011- 2014
Overcoming prejudices
through Fairy Tales
KAZANLAK - BULGARIA
2013

2. Parteners
,,Constantin Brancoveanu’’ High School –
Horezu, Romania
Rigas Juglas Vidusskolo – Riga, Letonia
Avicilar Lisesi – Istambul, Turcia
Profesionala Gimnaziya ,,Ivan
Hadzhienov’’ – Kazanlak, Bulgaria

4. Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a country in South Eastern Europe.
It is bordered by Romania to the north,
Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the
south and east is output Black Sea
Capital: Sofia
Prefix: 359
Currency: Lev
Population: 7.305 million
Official language: Bulgarian
Political system: parliamentary republic Parliamentary System

5. •Geography
Bulgaria occupies a portion of the
eastern Balkan peninsula, bordering
five countries—Greece and Turkey to
the south, Macedonia and Serbia to
the west, and Romania to the north.

6. The southern edge of the Danubian
Plain slopes upward into the foothills
of the Balkans, while the Danube
defines the border with Romania.
 The Thracian Plain is roughly
triangular, beginning southeast of
Sofia and broadening as it reaches the
Black Sea coast.

7. The Balkan mountains run laterally through
the middle of the country. The mountainous
southwest of the country has two alpine
ranges—Rila and Pirin, which border the
lower but more extensive Rhodope
Mountains to the east.
Bulgaria is home to the highest point of the
Balkan peninsula, Musala, at 2,925 metres
(9,596 ft) and its lowest point is sea level.

8. Plains occupy about one-third of the
territory, while plateaus and hills
occupy 41 per cent.
The country has a dense network,
about 540 rivers, most of which are
relatively small and with low water
levels. The longest river located solely
in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a
length of 368 kilometers.

9. History
Appearance Bulgarian people and state dates
back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which
dominated much of the Balkans and functioned as
the cultural center of Slavic peoples in the Middle
Ages.
The Cyrillic alphabet became the basis for further
cultural development. Centuries later, this alphabet,
along with Old Bulgarian language, intellectual
stimulated written language (lingua franca) for
Eastern Europe, known as Church Slavonic.

10. In 1946, it became a communist state until 1989,
when the Bulgarian Communist Party allowed
free elections. After 1990, Bulgaria became a
democracy and a market economy. Bulgaria
joined NATO in 2004 and a member of the EU in
2007.

11. •Traditions
The Anastenaria (Bulgarian Нестинарство) is
a traditional fire-walking ritual performed in
some villages in Northern Greece and
Southern Bulgaria. The communities which
celebrate this ritual are descended from
refugees who entered Greece from Eastern
Thrace.

12. Granny March (Bulgarian: Баба
Марта,) is the name of a
mythical figure who brings with
her the end of the cold winter
and the beginning of the spring.
Bulgarians celebrate on March
1 a centuries-old tradition and
exchange martenitsi on what is
called the day of Baba Marta.
The tradition of giving friends
red-and-white interwoven
strings brings health and
happiness during the year and
is a reminder that spring is
near.

13.  Dodola - According to some interpretations, she is the
Slavic goddess of rain, and the wife of the supreme
god Perun (who is the god of thunder). Slavs believed
that when Dodola milks her heavenly cows, the clouds,
it rains on earth. Each spring Dodola is said to fly over
woods and fields, and spread vernal greenery,
decorating the trees with blossoms.

14.  Koledovanie (Welsh
Calennig, Bulgarian:
Коледуване) is a term that
refers to the slavic Christmas
caroling in Bulgaria,
Macedonia, Serbia.
 The carolers traditionally
start their rounds at midnight
on Christmas Eve. They visit
the houses of their relatives,
neighbours and other people
in the village. The caroling is
usually performed by young
men, which are accompanied
by an elder one called
stanenik. Each caroler carries
a stick called gega. They
wish the people from the
village health, wealth and
happiness.

15.  Paparuda is a Romanian and Bulgarian rain ritual,
probably of pagan origin, performed in the spring and
in times of severe drought.
 A girl, wearing a skirt made of fresh green knitted vines
and small branches, sings and dances through the
streets of the village, stopping at every house, where
the hosts pour water on her. She is accompanied by
the people of the village who dance and shout on the
music. The custom has attributed a specific type of
dance and a specific melody.

16.  Flower's Day, also called Vrubnitsa, or "Willow Day", is
one of Bulgaria's most celebrated holidays. The
holiday takes place on the Sunday before Easter
Sunday to commemorate Jesus Christ’s entry into
Jerusalem through a crowd waving palm branches.
Bulgarians also celebrate this holiday to welcome
spring and close the cycle of adolescent girls’ vernal
rites.

17. •Stereotypes
Stereotypes are "fixed
idea that people have
about what is someone
or something, especially
something wrong."

18. Stop stereotypes and prejudices
about Bulgarians!
In Romania don’t exist many stereotypes
and prejudices about Bulgarian people.
Bulgarians are known as "kings green
stuff” because they are good farmers .
They eat corn and have big gardens with
vegetables.
It should be recognized
professionalism in tourism, agro-tourism.

19. Age stereotypes
1. Bulgarian teenagers love
rock and do not respect
all the time the elders.
2. Young people are seen by
the elderly unable to get a
job.
3. The elderly are
considered by teenagers
boring.
4. All teenagers are rebels.

20. Gender stereotypes
1. Bulgarian women drive worse and and
the same in Romania.
2. Woman is more emotional and sensitive.
3. Man wear blue and women wear pink.
4. Woman sitting at home on maternity
leave and the husband is the one who
works and support the family.

21. 5. Men are strong and do all the work.
6. Men are the "backbone."
7. Women aren't as smart as a man.
8. Women can’t do as good at a job as a man.
9. Girls are not good at sports.
10. Guys are messy and unclean.
11. Men who spend too much time on the
computer or read are geeks.

22. •Prejudices
Prejudice is an irrational feeling of fear and
inconvenience, excessive and improper
attitude towards a person or thing.
,,It is easier to disintegrate an
atom than a prejudice.’’
Albert Einstein

23. Prejudices about Bulgarians
After joining the EU, it happens that
when you say Bulgarians, to understand the
often "guest workers" or "illegal immigrants".
It is the image that the media, especially the
British, they built it, item by item, fresh
European citizens.

24. For foreign journalists, Bulgaria is the
country widespread corruption or bad
planes.

25. Romanians and Bulgarians
• The access to the European Union on 1 January
2007 helped the Romanian and Bulgarian
borders separated long communist and
prejudices, to discover each other and remain
pleasantly surprised. Before joining the EU,
Bulgarians and Romanians were completely
indifferent and ignorant of each other and they
have a common border, the-along the Danube.

26. • Each person has their own "baggage" of
stereotypes. "Most times do not see first
and then define, we define first and then
see it.
• Each of us have certain labels or
stereotypes at a dat.Ele can prevent us
from seeing reality as it is.