Bulgarian Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of the Holy Week before Easter. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
Bulgaria's Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, the last Sunday of Lent before Easter.
The feast commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, before the holy week in which his passions and crucifixion are celebrated.
The holiday is associated with numerous folk traditions.
The best known of these is the custom to weave circlets out of willow shoots, which replace the palms from the biblical tradition.
The circlets are worn either on head or wrists and later hung on doors.
Palm Sunday is also considered the name day for all people whose names are in some way associated with flowers or trees.