To: Ginger

Subject: Iliana -for Babin den!

Dear Ginger!!!

Happy New Year !!!

All the best to you and all your lovely people!!!

Seriously-this holiday is very old and our scientists think it comes from the matriarchy.  The midwives have been the only people-as doctors- in the village who can help you giving birth to children.  Not every woman has had enough energy and suitable character to do it.  The midwife had to have knowledge-usually from her mother and grandmother and big heart to make possible and save the baby's and the mother's lives.  That's way every woman in the village is happy to thanks to the midwife.

Babin den ,21 of January, as a holiday, has 3 parts-early in the morning-about 1a.m. to 5,6a.m.,lunch time and late afternoon till midnight-24 hours.

1 part -----------------------------------------------------------------

Every woman wants to be the first to visit the midwife-early in the morning she dresses beautifully-very often she puts on her the wedding's costume, and decorates her head with lots of flowers or just green leaves.  She brings a soap, a towel-old style, hot water in a special bottle-ceramic-we call it "stomna"-she decorates it with red woolen thread and basil or ivy.  She has her young child on her back .

The midwife has to welcome every woman on the doorstep or outside in the garden.  After the greetings ,the woman pours the hot water and gives the soap to the midwife to wash her hands.  If they are in the garden-they have to do it over a fruit tree.  The woman pours the water gradually from big distance-to grow up very tall her children.  The midwife slides the soap in her hands several times-in the future the woman to give easy birth.  After that the midwife has to wipe her hands in the towel ,sprinkles with water and basil the chest of the woman-to have lots of milk for the baby.  The woman kisses her hand, thanks and gives her the soap and the towel.  The midwife washes the baby's face with water and ties his hand with a red woolen thread with a coin-to be healthy child.  The woman goes home.

2 part------------------------------------------------------------------

About lunch time all the women without their children come back in midwives home.  IMPORTANT!!!! Every woman has a necklace from pop-corn and a long red pepper-if she has a son, or pendant/tassel/from different threads-if she has a daughter.  The number of the necklaces depends on the number of the children.

Everybody makes banitsa, pitka/special bread/, roasted or boiled chicken, a bottle of wine, a bottle of rakia/brendy/.These are the essential meals.  Besides that they can make some pastry or sweet meals, fruits.  Half of all these meals are for midwife's family.  The other part is for their party.

Before to start-the women arrange all the presents-with their dishes as a big tower.  In the past they use to have the party on the floor around a special cover-old style  The midwife hides herself behind the tower of the presents and asks the women: "Can you see me?" They answer "We can see you a little bit".  She says: "Next year you must not see me." It means-next year more women to have babies, more women to celebrate Babin den!

The midwife gives every woman -in the mouth- walnuts with honey-to have lots of children -sweet kids as the honey.

----Around "the table" they sit in a special order-in the middle-the midwife-then starting with the oldest woman.

-----Another detail-a glass of red wine-everybody puts on it a coin.  At the end, the woman who is pregnant or who is planning to have another child starts taking the coins out of the glass, BUT as pairs.  At the end if she has left over one coin-she is going to have a son.  If the coins are only pairs-it will be a daughter.

-----Next detail-everybody is standing up-before to start the lunch-the midwife burns incense- she makes 3 circles over the meals, prays and then she goes with the incense under everybody's skirt or dress.  She says special words, but nobody can hear it-it is her secret.  NO TROUSERS for Babin den!  She makes it to protect the woman against the devil, the black spirits and the illness.  And who knows what else:):):):)

-----It is time to start the lunch -lots of food and red wine :):):)

NAZDRAVE!!!!Cheers!

-----Now all the women are free to dance, to sing dirty songs to tell dirty jokes, to gossip...To be crazy!!!!When they are enough drunk, they dress up the midwife as a bride, somebody as a groom, one priest, some Gypsies or what is in your mind after all that red wine and brandy.  The midwife has a long necklace with a piece of leek or carrot-about 6,7,8 inches, maybe 10 inches-your choice, girls! Two potatoes -from both sides.  Sometimes it can be a horn.  This item is a very important instrument-the midwife chases the women and pricks them-you know what it means for next year.....All of you are free to create these kind of games.....

BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR EXACT ADDRESS FOR THE PARTY TO YOUR RELATIVES TO TAKE

YOU HOME NEXT DAY................

Dear Ginger, and all my sweet girls in Seattle!!! This is in short the story about BABIN DEN in Bulgaria.  It is a really serious subject from our very, very old folk culture......As I told you-every village, every generation and every woman has own way to feel and enjoy this lovely day! The craziness is very important for every woman- not only in my country-all of us has to find at least one day in the year to look at the life from the other corner-it will help us to be stronger, happier, and incredible!!!

I hope you can understand my letter-it is difficult -using my vocabulary to explain this ritual.  For any questions- you can write me!!!

I will be very happy if you celebrate Babin den on the 21th of January.  I will be thankful to see some pictures and to hear your opinion about it!

With lots of love: Iliana