What and who is Trifon?

The days are growing longer, but the cold is still rolling along each day as we wear our winter clothes and start to count on to the month of April, spring and work again on the land. There are a tough plant that needs attention, the vine. It is the first task of the agricultural calendar - it has a name and a special day, a celebration day as always in Bulgaria. Trifon Zarezan, pushes itself forward as the day of the grower and wine this falls on February 14.

In Skalitsa the celebration of the first cutting of the vine took place a week earlier, but officially 14th February is the allocated day Nationally. Going back many years it used to be the first day of February, but somehow it now has arrived in modern times two weeks later - I don't think it is to do with global warming, more from a date of convenience.

Back to the poetic tale of Trifon; Bulgarian land goes back from time immemorial and with that sacred land people here have been taught to grow vines and make wine from its grapes,. It is not only taught but celebrated before during and after the labours on the land. There is no end to joy and celebration in Bulgaria with the wine that is worn throughout the year.

In past centuries, the feast of the vine and wine in Thracian lands remain to this day. There are folk festivals and customs in Bulgaria with the old pagan traditions remaining, even before the arrival of Slavs and Bulgarians took hold in the Balkan Peninsula.

Zarezan Trifon has always been regarded as just a folklore representation. He was Christianised with attachment to a young patron Saint Trifon who moving into a village called Komsada Maloaziyskata on February 14. The Bulgarians that were involved with this, not shy of fun invented the legend of Trifon and how you cut the nose of the vineyard with kosera (Bulgarian secateurs) and therefore become embedded a ritual from these moments on tagged with the name Trifon.

It is vital that each year vines are well trimmed to make good grapes and good grapes subsequently make good wine and if the wine is not up to standard, further down the line good Rakia is the safety net. A good wine raises Bulgarians good thoughts and leads to good deeds, that's what makes it so good here.