Couckeri
Bulgaria, 1st March, 2000
Every year, on the 1st of March, the Bulgarians give each other "martenitsas" - a small figure made of white and red threads. It is a symbol of the awakening, of spring, health and happiness.

Festival of Roses
Karlovo and Kazanluk,
In late May and early June every year, the rose picking season starts in the Valley of Roses that stretches between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rose picking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the rose fragrance had a chance to disappear. The Bulgarian oleaginous rose yields 70 percent of the world's attar of roses used by every well-known perfume company as an essential component of its products. This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, processions, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the Sunday in June.