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BULGARIA AS IT IS!
Peperuda is a custom asking for rain. A girl covered in greenery visits homes with a group of singers, and hosts pour water over her.
Peperuda takes place in spring or summer, most often during drought. Names and ritual sequences differ by region. The shared element is a plea for rain expressed through song, movement and water. It belongs to folk ideas about community and nature, rather than weather forecasting.
The central participant is a girl covered in leaves and branches. Other girls accompany her, singing and visiting houses. Hostesses pour water over the peperuda: a symbolic action expressing the wish for rain and a good harvest.
Bulgarian National Radio describes living memory of the custom in Kopilovtsi and a reenactment in Novo Selo. These examples show how people preserve songs and ritual order, but should not be treated as its only form. Presentations today often help children learn their settlement’s history.
Historical information, local examples and current practices were checked against these publications.
Created with ImageGen for СБОРЪ.БГ. An artistic interpretation of the custom, rather than a documentary photograph.