Nikulden

December 6th was Nikulden - or the Day of St. Nicholas. He is the patron saint of children (yes, he is that St. Nick) and of fishermen. Since Bourgas is on the coast, he also happens to be the patron saint of the city. That night a lighting ceremony of the city's decorations accompanied a concert and some words by the mayor and a dazzling display of fireworks. Afterwards, we went to a na gosti. When you visit someone for dinner or coffee, it is called a na gosti. It is customary to bring chocolates and wine. We brought homemade pumpkin soup - by request. It's a little dish I've learned to make while here, and judging by the number of requests for the recipe, it's a good one. They had a ton of food on the table when we arrived. Bulgarian meals are always 'family style' - where the bowls are set on the main table that everyone sits at and you just take what you want from the big bowls and put it on your plate. There were salads, potatoes, wine, bread, and at least five different types of fish, the biggest being a carp that was filled with beans and seasoning - I read that the cross on the skull of this fish makes it sacred and that some people will bury the skull in their yard after the meal for good luck!