Обредът Лазаруване в Софийско днес
The Rite Lazaruvane in Sofia Region Today

Summary/Abstract: The text examines the contemporary state of the rite Lazaruvane (St. Lazarus’s Day is a ritual for health, happiness and fertility) on a local level. The data, the summaries and the conclusions of this study are derived primarily from the author’s field work materials collected for the period 2008 and 2009 in several villages around Sofia. The article enlightens issues such as: the temporal and spatial locations of this maiden practice, the role of the participants in it (gender, age, clothing, functions); the preparations for the rite; the song and dance repertoire (way of implementing it, structural and functional analysis); today’s knowledge about the meaning of the rite Lazaruvane; the reactions of the participants; as well as the presence in the medias. The main objective of the text is not only to acquaint readers with the performance practices of the ritual in Sofia region, but also to demonstrate the occurred innovations and transformations of the tradition. For example: 1) the organization of the rite by cultural centers; 2) the introduction of rehearsals as a form of preparation; 3) the conversion of two-voice St. Lazarus’s songs into one; 4) the abolition of the antiphonic performance of the songs and more.

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