Center of Folk Arts and Crafts, Sofia

What to buy here: Palamarka –a swaphook – The « palamarka » is a precious gift for people who appreciate handicrafts and are interested in history and ethnography. This tool was traditionally used by harvesters to protect their hands while cutting wheat-ears with a sickle. The palamarka was also part of several pre-harvest rituals. The most popular ritual is called « the singing of the palamarka ». Young, unmarried girls would put their palamarkas, along with a small note, in an apron, then took them out one by one reading the predictions. The predictions usually focused on future possible mates, like for example if the prediction read « You will be eating milk and cheese » it ment that the future spouse will be a shepard.

You can order an icon to be painted or a wish to be written especially for you on the palamarka. From 9$.