Erkечki Zelynik and the “Silivriya” Ritual in the Courtyard of the Ethnographic Museum

On Saturday, 31 January 2026, at 11:00 a.m., the courtyard of the Ethnographic Museum, located at 69 Slavyanska Street, will come alive with young people, music, and living traditions.
Our friends from the “Erkechko Nasledstvo” (Erkеч Heritage) Traditional Folklore Ensemble, a community-based group dedicated to preserving authentic folklore, will present the “Silivriya” ritual in Burgas for the first time. This is one of the most colourful winter customs of Erkech, a village in the Pomorie region. The newly established ensemble consists predominantly of young people whose roots lie in the village of Kozichino, known by its former name, Erkech.
Their mission is to preserve and promote the traditions, songs, folk dances, and customs of Erkech, passed down from generation to generation.
Silivriya, also known as Rinachovden (literally, “the Day of Raking and Cleaning”), is a traditional ritual that survived until the second half of the 20th century. It is dedicated to working livestock, particularly oxen, and forms a continuation of the Christmas customs of Erkech.
On the evening before 2 January (15 January according to the Julian calendar, traditionally used in the Orthodox Christian calendar), the koladnitsi (young men who take part in traditional Christmas caroling rituals) gather at the home of the stananik (the appointed leader of the ritual group). They sing songs and, led by a gaidardzhiya (a bagpipe player), set off through the village in a traditional folk dance procession.
Divided into groups known as kudi (small teams of young men), they clean out the oxen’s stalls. While some perform the cleaning, others dance the “Paydushka” (Paydushkoto horo, a traditional Bulgarian folk dance characterised by an uneven rhythm and distinctive steps).
Young men courting a particular girl try to join the group assigned to clean the stalls of her family’s livestock, providing an opportunity to express their affection through participation in the communal ritual.
The following day, the women of the households whose livestock stalls have been cleaned bring Erkechki zelynik (a traditional savoury pastry associated with Erkech) to the stananik’s home. The koladnitsi gather there to share the food. Afterwards, they form a horo (a traditional Bulgarian group dance performed in a line or circle), led by the stananik, who carries a ceremonial ring-shaped loaf of bread known as a kravay.
The procession makes its way to the Horishte (the traditional village dancing ground), where the dance groups representing the two village neighbourhoods meet.
To the sound of the gaida (the traditional Bulgarian bagpipe), the participants perform the “Konskata” (literally, “the Horse Dance”), a ceremonial folk dance in which two opposing lines of dancers face one another and attempt to break through the other group’s line, symbolically challenging their opponents.
The two lines meet three times, and on the third encounter, one of them is expected to break apart. Once this ritual contest is over, the two dance groups merge, and the young women join in as well. The dancing continues late into the night.
And while the young men are busy “cleaning the oxen’s stalls” and performing their traditional horo dances, the young women will host a culinary demonstration in the museum’s Ethno-Kitchen, where they will share the secrets of preparing Erkechki zelynik, the traditional pastry of Erkech, with visitors.
Join us for a celebration of Bulgarian cultural heritage, where authentic music, traditional dances, culinary knowledge, and the energy of a younger generation come together to keep the customs of Erkech alive.

Notes on the transliteration and cultural terms
• Kozichino (Erkech) — the modern and former names of the village, respectively. Erkech is retained when referring to the historical traditions and cultural identity.
• Silivriya — the name of the traditional winter ritual, retained in Latin transliteration because it has no direct English equivalent.
• Rinachovden — the alternative local name of the ritual, explained literally to help English-speaking readers understand its connection with cleaning the livestock stalls.
• Koladnitsi, stanаник, gaidardzhiya, kudi, kravay, gaida, horo, Paydushka, Konskata, Horishte — Bulgarian cultural terms retained in Latin transliteration and explained in English at their first mention.
• Zelynik — a traditional Bulgarian savoury pastry, often prepared with leafy greens or other fillings depending on the local recipe. The specific Erkech version is best presented by its local name, Erkechki zelynik, to preserve its regional identity.

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