Courtship & Betrothal

• 1). Attend a sedyanka, a traditional Bulgarian gathering. Try to sit knee-to-knee with that special girl.
  
  
• 2). Let her know you're her man. There are two ways to do this: Snatch the posy she is wearing in her hair, or give her a red apple. If she protests either, she is not interested.
  
  
• 3). Wear the posy in your hat to affirm your interest and mark her as your girl. If another boy tries to make advances, the whole town will have your back.
  
  
• 4). Show off her embroidery (or other crafts). The only way to convince your mother of your chosen girl's marriageability is to show that she does fine work.
  
  
• 5). Bring in matchmakers. Send a few male relatives to your girl's family home to stoke the fire appropriately and drink a bit of rakine, rice wine, with the girl's father while making your marriage intentions known.
  
  
• 6). Pay the bride price. Have your father put down the money in front of your bride-to-be's family, despite any heckling.
  
  
• 7). Get married. Wait a day or a year, but either way, if you want a wife in Bulgaria, you've got to take this step eventually.