Village visits, and also Nikolov Den

I really like these visits I get to make to the village with my friends. It is a whole different way of life than in America. This is the way I understand it..when a person reaches retirement age here, they don’t retire to a nursing home..instead they move to the village from the city for two main reasons. First the pension they receive is usually a pretty small amount, so they have bountiful gardens full of fruits and vegetables, and many times animals like goats, sheep, cows, horses, and dogs and cats. This helps offset the lack of funds during retirement. And then second reason I often hear from my friends is, “What are they going to do, sit around and drink coffee all day..”. So, they enjoy tending the garden and animals. It keeps them active and oftentimes their children come to visit on the weekends. This is where I come in. I have visited a couple villages where my friends parents live, and I just have to say it is soo relaxing in the village. There is yummy food always cooked by the mom, and there are naps, and interesting conversations, sometimes a long hike..and no computer.

This Sunday was the Name Day NikolovDen..so, I got to see first-hand how this is celebrated. This is the name day for a Saint who watches over the fisherman and sailors, so on Sunday everyone eats fish, and there is a special way they sometimes prepare it stuffed with rice, walnuts, raisins, and I forget what else. For some people here, the celebration of their their Name Day is bigger than the celebration for their Birthday..but not always. So, on this Name Day, everyone who is named Nikola, Nikolai, Niki, Kolyo, Neno, Nena, and Nenka celebrate their Name Day