St.Valentine or Trifon Zarezan

St.Valentine's day (14feb) is known around the world as the day on which lovers express their feelings for each other, or secret admirers profess their love through anonymous cards. The origins of St Valentine' Day are steeped in myth.

FEBRUARY is the month when we, the Bulgarians celebrate wine and its patron saint Trifon, also known as Trifon Zarezan.
The festivities on the day of Trifon Zarezan mark the dividing line between the ending of winter and the nearing of spring. The first pruning of the vines for the season is the main ritual performed on February 14, when people gather in the vineyards outside the villages.

Every man, when stepping into his vineyard looks at the rising sun and makes the sign of the cross three times. Then he cuts three twigs from three different vines and washes the cut places with red wine, holy water and ashes from wood burnt on Christmas Eve. While pruning, everyone whispers blessings, wishing for an abundant harvest later in the year.
Having done the pruning, men gather in the vines to eat, drink, sing and dance. In the evening they are guests in the `King's' house. The King is the man who harvested the most grapes and made the best wine the previous year. It is a tradition that the King and his `subjects' must get drunk that evening to secure an abundant harvest in the coming year.

The fact that February 14 is also the day of St Valentine has made the date very popular because Bulgarians can choose weather to celebrate wine or love, or even both, on the same date.