On Wednesday, the Historical Museum hosted a party in its exhibition house. Survaknitsi made by the kindergartens and food from a traditional Bulgarian Christmas Eve (Budne Vecher) dinner were on display. The children and the folk singing group also preformed.
Survaknitsi are a traditional craft made during the winter holiday seasons using a branch cut from a cornel tree. The branch is then decorated with bright threads, bits of cloth, dried fruit, popcorn, dried red peppers, a silver coin, and round pieces of bread. The popcorn and dried fruit symbolize fertility and fruitfulness. The string of red peppers and the silver coin are meant to drive away evil.
According to tradition, young people go from house to house on New Year’s caroling and offering wishes for good health, prosperity, and happiness. They slap the householders on the back with the survaknitsi and are given bread rolls, nuts, sweets and coins in return. The symmetric tying of the branches to form circles symbolizes eternity and the circle of life. The round, donut like bread rolls hung from the circles represent the universe and again symbolize eternity recalling primordial times, when God "kneaded" space and time. I found most of this information here.
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