Тодоровден (St. Theodore's Day or Horse Easter)

Five of us had jammed into a taxi for the short ride from Стара Загора (Stara Zagora) to the nearby village of Могила (Mogila). We were pretty excited, perhaps too excited. We were, after all, only going to Могила because we were curious to see the village's infamous "Gypsy Bride Market" for ourselves. Our excitement grew as we passed horse-cart after horse-cart of Roma people along the way, all presumably headed to the bride market.

That excitement quickly turned to disappointment upon learning that there would be no bride market. Although traditionally held on the first Saturday of Lent per the Eastern Orthodox Christian calendar, the market had been pushed back a day due to a conflict with Тодоровден (St. Theodore's Day or Horse Easter). We made the most of it, lingering a bit until a chilly wind got the better of us and sent us back to Стара Загора.


Here are some photos from the festivities.

With all the horses running around, we had to pay close attention to avoid being run over. But that was nothing compared to the mob scene that developed after a guy showed up with a miniature horse and allowed the three American girls to climb aboard to pose for photos and take a short ride.