The man who can retrieve the cross is said to be rewarded with good health and happiness.Ģ4. On Jordan's Day in Bulgaria, there's one custom that involves a priest throwing a cross into the river. The golden artifacts were believed to be 7,000 years old.Ģ3. The oldest processed gold in the world is found in Varna in Bulgaria. Bulgaria has no state religion, but the majority of Bulgarian citizens identify as Eastern Orthodox Christians.Ģ2. The country has a literacy rate of 98 percent.Ģ1. Bulgarian primary and secondary education is state-supported. Today, it is still performed in several villages in the Strandzha Mountains.Ģ0. Another one of those Bulgarian fun facts is that fire dancing (Nestinarstvo) is one of the oldest Bulgarian customs. It is written using the Cyrillic alphabet.ġ9. The country's official language is Bulgarian. In English, it means “grows but does not age”.ġ8. The capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has a motto which goes as “Raste no ne stare”. In the 1980s, Bulgaria was the second-largest wine producer in the world.ġ7. It has over 3,500 vascular plant species and almost 415 bird species.ġ6. Bulgaria ranks as the third most biodiverse Eastern European country. It's just one of many interesting places in Bulgaria.ġ5. The biggest of the 1,500 figures featured is smaller than a grain of rice. Bulgaria's Rila Monastery houses a wooden cross with 140 microscopic scenes from the Bible. The medieval town of Bansko is a famous spot for skiing.ġ4. The two major mountain ranges in Bulgaria are the Balkan Mountains and the Rhodope Mountains.ġ3. Festivities include street processions, folklore concerts, art shows, wine tasting, exhibitions, and more.ġ2. The town of Kazanlak holds a Rose Festival yearly, wherein a girl is elected as “Rose Queen”. Locals exchange martenitsas or tassels of white and red yarn.ġ1. Here's one of many fun Bulgarian culture facts: every first of March, Bulgarians celebrate a unique holiday known as Baba Marta (Grandmother March). It is Bulgaria's national drink and is usually consumed together with shopska.ġ0. Rakia is an alcoholic drink with made from fermented pears, grapes, or apricots. Orpheus is the son of Oeagros, God of the River.ĩ. The legendary Thracian singer, Orpheus, spent his life in ancient Bulgaria. He was named after his Bulgarian grandfather Marko.Ĩ. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has Bulgarian roots. Shopska, also known as Bulgarian salad, won as best dish in Europe in a contest organized by the European Parliament.ħ. Bulgaria has 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites at the time of writing.Ħ. The country's national instrument is gaida, more commonly known as bagpipes.ĥ. It takes some time to get used to this Bulgarian head nod!Ĥ. As confusing as it may be, Bulgarians shake their head when they mean to say “yes” and nod when they want to say “no”. Bulgaria is the world's second-biggest exporter of rose oil, an ingredient in most perfumes.ģ. Bulgarians call theirs “sour milk” and they think it's what makes them live long lives.Ģ.