Last night we attended a half-Bulgarian wedding. I say 'half' in a generous gesture to the American side, which was merely an outer shell--a vessel, perhaps--for the crazy Bulgarian fiesta that was to take place.
One of the Bulgarian teachers at the MTC, Yoanna, married some American guy from BYU, and what ensued was what I can only describe as a "Big Fat Greek Wedding" experience, replete with dizzying dance circles, loud exclamations of "Всички Българи да дойдат тука за снимка!" ("All Bulgarians come over here for a picture!"), and all of the pop-folk Bulgarian music a Western ear could handle.
The event began innocently enough. We entered the beatiful (and ever-so-American) backyard of the husband's family, located on the North end of Provo, which included towering, 30-foot trees, a small creek that ran through the backyard, and a picturesque home that could one day serve as an idyllic bed and breakfast setting. American guests were quietly coming and going and offering their congratulations to the bride and groom.
It was not long, however, until more and more Bulgarians began to congregate, that I realized this party was going to take a turn for the Bulgar. Most of the Americans had dissipated at what I'm sure was the scheduled end of the reception, but that was only the beginning for the Balkan crowd. One Bulgarian friend of ours informed us that "in Bulgaria, our invitations only have a start time for the reception, but no end."
I would say more, but I think I'll let the videos do the talking. Good times in a quasi-Bulgarian environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment