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The great changes in the last two decades and the difficulties in everyday life have forced us to seek stability in familiar or forgotten, but verified in the past, traditions. Thus we witnessed a revival of feasts and rites of which we had only been told. And if for Babinden in Velingrad and Enyovden in Rakitovo we can say that there is no break of tradition, then the restoration of St. Nicholas, St. Spas, St. Iliya gives us an example of the process of change in the holiday calendar of Chepinsko, which fits into the common for the country. However, there are traditional holidays that remain outside this wave of return to tradition and are part of that specificity giving a characteristic appearance to our area. ***

The closest of these holidays is St. Trifon Zarezan, Trifonovden. In the Chepin region due to the altitude and climatic features, there is no developed viticulture and winemaking - so we know and so we form the idea of the conditions that determine the lack of its specific marking. Was it ever so? It was very difficult for me to find someone to tell me fully and completely about the celebration of this holiday in the past. In 1998 I was lucky to come across a recorded story with relatively rich memories of rites practiced in Kamenica in the first half of this century.
Its marking included the traditional ritual cutting of the vines on that day. In Chepinsko is known the widespread legend of the saint in the country. Here she meets in the following version: "He looked at Mary Magdalene, liked her, winked at her. But a fly landed on his nose. He swung his scissors, supposedly to chase away the fly, and cut off his nose instead of cutting off the vine." The abbreviated version of the legend, told in the 30-40s of the twentieth century, is probably an echo of the passing away of traditional ritualism during the day of Trifon Zarezan. The existing contacts and influences between Chepinsko and Western Thrace have also given their reflection. The specificity of this variant, compared to those spread around the country, is the inclusion of Mary Magdalene as the main character in the place of the Virgin Mary. For St. Tryphon there was also the belief that he was a healer "collecting the tears of the vine and healing the eyes, hard healing wounds and gangrene". This belief is grounded in an order, probably originating from a song performed at the feast:
Trifon, Trifon the Saint
A vine cuts, a vine cuts and prunes,
Her tears quietly gather,
silent gather, eyes wash,
his, the children's, the maidens',
of the maidens and of the wrong
oy, Mary Magdalene.
Oi, Tryphone, Tryphone, Martyr,
Cut a vineyard, dump it,
to vine you and bend,
to be razed, razed,
to grapes grapes and ripens,
to wine drink red,
for the health of children,
So do mothers and fathers.
They drink, they don't drink,
for children to play their hearts out.
In the order we meet again as the main actor Mary Magdalene. It is possible that inclusion is due to the strengthening of the influence of the church-religious aspect in the holidays during this period. The legend and belief in the healing abilities of St. John. Trifon have determined the need for the series of rites, among them the main one - the cleavage. Ritual cutting was done by the elderly man in the family, usually on his own asma, and if it is not grown in the yard, then on the asma of a neighbor or relative. Dumped a few sticks (usually 3) watered with wine and took them home. Place the three vines in a tin bowl, water them again with wine and bless each other (in the story I use, bless the grandmother):
"Let the vine be howled for the health of the owners and children, let the vine be howled, let it not be seized. Let the grapes be born, let the American woman not walk on it with the phylloxera, let not hail him, let not his grain rot, let not mold catch him. Let's pick, eat, drink wine for health and joy, for sweetness and youth".
Then each member of the family sips from the bowl of red wine with the three vines dipped, passing to the right in seniority. The song that was sung after the blessing and sipping is merry and playful: My wine was sour, my heart was merry, did you hear Grape, Grape, and you maiden, Mavrudo, that Trifon is already where us, where us and where you came.
It is understood from the story that at a young age the grandmother sang the song and on it they horoed. Of course, the themes of this day's chatter were related to wine. The rite thus considered is too simple. The fuller celebration of Trifon Zarezan was practiced towards the turn of the century. In this period still existed the vineyards of Vrloz near Kamenica. I was very curious about this fact - a surprise that there were vineyards and a question - why they got lost. Perhaps here as well as in other areas of the country, the phylloxera that broke out then decimated them? The gradual withering away of the festive rites and closure within the family, even only in individual families, also determines the difficult opening of the festive rites towards the middle of the century. In the 30-40s another form of celebration was confirmed in the three local settlements. Information about her I draw from the short description in the local newspaper. "Chepino" dated 25.02.1940: "Last week on the general decision of the drink-selling association, the feast of St. Trifon Zarezan was celebrated by the drink-selling people of the three villages in Kamenitsa. The Association of Lying and Chepino headed in the morning for the village. Kamenitsa, where together with the local association they went to the church of St. Trinity, where a divine liturgy was celebrated. The congratulations were presented at the restaurant "Kyosot". Here spoke priest Georgi p.Trendafilov and the mayor of Kamenitsa g. Nikola Pavlov. After the given lunch from the drink sellers, the associations made a demonstration around the village. A stone with two bagpipes".

And in the last decade we have witnessed changes and innovations on this day - February 14. Valentine's Day - the holiday of lovers, gradually earned a place, especially among young people. Traditional for Velingrad is the blues-marathon held by the DZPD with awards for the longest dancing couple, which will take place this year as well. From my heart I wish them much love and joy of the holiday. Those who are attracted by tradition can take advantage of tradition and incorporate old songs and nicknames into their repertoire.
Georgi Kumanov