Signs of Spring in Blagoevgrad

Blagoevgrad has been moving toward spring, however stubbornly slowly, this winter.  The frigid temperatures and snow appear to be giving way to warmer days and sunshine.  There are other signs of spring as well.  Last Sunday, Bulgarians celebrated Sirni Zagovezni.  This celebration marks the last day before the beginning of the Orthodox season of 'Great Lent' (similar to the Catholic and Protestant ideas of Lent in that it includes fasting and sacrifice, but different in that it begins on "Clean Monday" rather than "Ash Wednesday."  Also, FYI, this year the Orthodox churches will not celebrate Easter on the same date as the churches in the west).

To prepare for the beginning of Great Lent, the people ask one another for forgiveness on Sirni Zagovezni.  As such, this holiday is also called "forgiveness Sunday."  If you have a long standing grudge, especially with a family member, this is the day to get it resolved.  However, the day is also a celebration, complete with a Sunday feast and games.  It is also sometimes called "cheesefare Sunday" (three names for one holiday - that's impressive) as it is the last day that the Orthodox people will eat cheese or meat until Easter.

Finally, there are some party elements to this holiday.  Some people in the country perform certain dances and start bonfires to keep up ancient traditions.  And of course, there is the traditional "make the kid catch the hard boiled egg on fishing line" game.  Good fun for all involved.

So close.....

Got it!!!

All things considered, it seemed to be a mix of Fat Tuesday and Yom Kippur.  With a hard boiled egg pinata element.  Interesting.

This holiday is certainly a sign of spring, but it is not the only one that popped up in town last week.  On Wednesday, Mark noticed a student protest on campus.  As Mark remembers from his days at Grinnell College, there was usually someone upset about something, but most of the protests were delayed until the weather got a little better.  Your "Hell no, we won't go!" has much greater credibility when the protesters are not shivering when they yell it.  Surely, this protest is as sure a sign of spring as a robin red-breast on the window sill.

Protesters storming the castle

Occupy AUBG?

Mark vaguely remembers Grinnellian protests against sweat shop products being sold in the college bookstore, the serving of meat in the dining halls (that was a tough sell in central Iowa, if memory serves), and the cancellation of a syndicated broadcast of the Simpsons.  Good times.  And it's good to see the spirit of protest alive and well with this group of today's students.

And for those who are interested, what was the issue at .... issue?  New meal plan policy.

Hell no, we won't .... eat!

So with all of these signs already apparent, the ultimate harbinger of spring cannot be far off.....  Spring break starts on Saturday.  No word on where Anne and Mark might be headed off to, but rumors are that they are working on their skills in the fields of speaking French and riding camels.   Any guesses?