Bulgarian Christmas already? Well, yeah, sort of… For me, it all started with a small parade marching along Main Street.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Discovering an early Bulgarian Christmas in New York
A little past noon, Saturday, I was talking with my sister on the phone when I looked out and saw a costumed parade approaching the subway. What was it? At a distance, it looked like, maybe, three Santas with a trailing entourage.
I gave my sister a play by play as they passed, but marching under a shady row of trees, they never got enough light for a reliable photo. And they didn’t look so much like Santas anymore either.
As luck would have it though, when I headed out for Four Freedoms, a little later, I caught up with the group in a meadow south of Cornell Tech. On a beautiful autumn day on which everyone seemed to be out, they were setting up for something.
I asked a trio of women watching, in costumes themselves. They told me they were making a video in preparation for Christmas and New Year celebrations in traditional Bulgarian style. More specifically, they were part of 101 Kaba Gaidi New York.
The group, according to their website, was born “…to teach and create awareness about the art of playing the traditional Bulgarian KABA GAIDA and TUPAN, not only through the Bulgarian community in New York City, but also among the wide audience in the tri-state area and the entire United States.”
One of the groups coordinators is Zora Boyadzhieva, a Manhattan Park resident. Young Bulgarian Voice is dedicated to celebrating their love of Bulgarian Culture. Here’s a live performance from the Cornell Tech meadow on Saturday…
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- The ‘Black Benjie Way’: Bronx Peacemaker Whose Killing Led To Gang Truce Honored With Street Naming
Jonathan Custodio, The City This article was originally published on Jun 3 2:26pm EDT by THE CITY More than 50 years after he lost his life serving as a peacemaker in the South Bronx, the - Things To Consider When Relocating Your Office
Are you planning to relocate your business’s office? Consider these tips to reduce stress and make the process go more smoothly for you and your team. - NYC Sheriff Hawked ‘Gimmick’ COVID Protection Just Before Mayor Adams Hired Him
Yoav Gonen, The City This article was originally published on Jun 2 5:00am EDT by THE CITY Just weeks before he was tapped to serve as New York City sheriff, former NYPD Sergeant Anthony Miranda - Airbnb and Hosts Sue City, Calling New Registration Rules a Virtual Ban
Katie Honan, The City This article was originally published on Jun 1 7:03pm EDT by THE CITY Hospitality giant Airbnb and several of its local hosts filed lawsuits against New York City on Thursday, with - 500 Cots in Place as City Readies to Convert JFK Mail Warehouse to Migrant Shelter
Gwynne Hogan, The City This article was originally published on Jun 1 12:25pm EDT by THE CITY Five hundred cots and several trailers with showers and bathrooms are in place at a sprawling warehouse at - Health & Wellness Fair, a New Event Done the Right Way
While a slapdash, faint-hearted and belated Roosevelt Island Day promotion tumbles toward Saturday, energetic groups pull together a Health & Wellness Fair that’s truly community-driven. The event is on June 15th in Good Shepherd Plaza
