Trifon Zarezan: three days of wine fun

The traditional festival “Trifon Zarezan” in the Bolgradsky district will occur from February 12 to 14, despite the quarantine restrictions that apply to the Odessa region after entering the “orange zone”. The only condition will be the availability of a vaccination certificate for each of the participants. Three days of the holiday will be held.

According to the organisers, the festival will be divided into several locations and include the settlements that are part of the Bolgrad UTC: Tabaki, Zaliznichnoe, and Bolgrad.

Its programme will be full of excursions, ceremonies, a concert, sports competitions and much more.

The holiday dedicated to Tryphon Zarezan has its roots in ancient times when the tribes of the Thracians inhabited the Bessarabian lands. More than all the gods, they revered Dionysus, the god of wine and vines. The ancestors of modern Bessarabians and Bulgarians, who came to the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in the 7th century adopted the Thracian traditions of winemaking and viticulture. Subsequently, the winegrowers' holiday was superimposed on pagan traditions in the popular mind.

This is a holiday in honour of the Christian priest Tryphon, who was executed in Nicaea in 250. According to legend, on the day of the execution, insects attacked all the country's vineyards, and the growers called on Saint Tryphon to protect them.

According to tradition, vines were pruned on this day to get a big harvest in the fall, which is why St. Tryphon is called Zarezan (Pruned) in Bulgaria. Now, St. Tryphon's Day is celebrated not only by winegrowers but also by gardeners, gardeners, and owners of wine taverns.

After Tryphon, spring comes, and the winegrowers will no longer have the opportunity to relax and gather in cheerful company. Therefore, there is a noisy festivity for three days in the Bessarabian villages. In the vineyard, the men cross themselves; each of them takes a garden knife and cuts three branches from three large vines. Then, crossing themselves again, they pour the wine they brought with them onto the vines.