Festivities on St Lazar's Day, devoted to young girls, pastures, fields and woods, may have long lost their ritual significance, but remain one of the best-loved and known traditions in Bulgaria.

The holiday is marked each year on the last Saturday before Easter and a day before Palm Sunday.

Lazarovden was quite an event in the life of every young girl, for then she could demonstrate to the village community that she has grown up to be an "accomplished maiden".

Traditions had it that a girl, who did not participate in the so-called lazarouvane could not have a loved one and was likely to be carried off by a dragon.

The girls would gather in groups of about ten at the house of the prettiest one and start from there with their songs to make a round of the village.

The songs sung on St Lazar's Day praise the beauty of the maiden and her lover, the industriousness of the farmer, the purity of maternal love and express wishes for happiness and prosperity. Legend has it that health, wealth and love will reign in the house that the girls visit.

After completing their round, the lazarki returned to the house they started from to share out among them the presents they had received.

On the next day, Palm Sunday, they gathered again to go to the river and drop their willow wreaths in the stream. The wreath to be carried away the fastest would determine "the best girl", whose home would host a humble feast for the maidens.

On Lazarovden all those named Lazar, Lazarina celebrate their name day.

The Orthodox Church celebrates on this day the resurrection of Lazarus (brother of Martha and Maria), whom Jesus raised from the dead. Lazarus, who lived for 30 years more, was an ardent follower of Christian faith and died as a bishop of the town of Ketonia (in Cyprus).

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