07/07/2018
July Morning is an annual Bulgarian festival, celebrated on the night before and the day of July 1st of each year. Although not universally observed in the country, it is unique as it is not observed anywhere else in the world.
In the days before 1st of July, people from across Bulgaria travel to the Black Sea coast to meet the first sun rays on the first day of July. People gather around fires, play music and wait for the sunrise. There is no mandatory ritual, ceremony or rite for this tradition and it is up to participants' discretion how they spend the night before July 1st. On many locations, there are concerts with professional and amateur bands. Camping at the locations of choice for the July Morning celebration is also very popular.
There were many attempts to commercialize the tradition by various parties – municipal authorities, concert promoters, etc. – trying to organize July Morning festivals and specials. All such attempts failed, possibly due to the lack of a single location of celebrations, or commercial organizations failing to condone some of the celebrations more questionable activities.
[History, Meaning and Significance]
-The name of the tradition comes from the British rock band Uriah Heep's 1971 hit "July Morning" which became widely popular in Bulgaria in the 1980s and somehow named and remained central to this unique Bulgarian tradition.
It is said that the July Morning arose sometime in the 1980s among young people as a subtle protest against the Communist regime. Many young people felt attracted to some of the so-called hippie ideals from the 1960s, communicated mainly through rock and pop music of the time. As a country behind the Iron Curtain, Bulgaria did not have a music market similar to the ones in the Western countries and it was not uncommon for albums and tracks by Western artists to become popular years, sometimes decades, after their initial release. This seems to be the case with Uriah Heep's song "July Morning".
There are many versions of the meaning of the tradition. Most people consider July Morning a celebration of a new beginning and freedom in the spirit of the hippie movement. For others, it is a good reason for a late night/early morning party as July 1 is the first day of summer break for most high schools in Bulgaria and the unofficial start of the summer vacationing season, traditionally culminating with a trip to the Black Sea coast in July or August.
July Morning may also be related to sun worship (see Peter Deunov) and to midsummer night rites popular throughout Bulgarian lands from time immemorial.
