On October 4, 2023 at 6 pm at the Regional Ethnographic Museum - Plovdiv will be held the opening of the exhibition "My Ethnographic World" ( or about the donation in the Bulgarian wedding) - an exhibition of fabrics (pillows, mezuzahs and costumes) from the collection of Rumiana Mehandova.
The exhibition presents one of the most important customs associated with the Bulgarian wedding - the so-called "ritual gift-giving".
Giving is a wish "without words" through the language of objects and symbols. The bride's wedding gift (ruba, cheez, prikya) is, among other things, a sign of social prestige. It shows the skills of the young bride. Invariably present in the bride's cheiza were the gifts prepared for the wedding: peshkiri, aprons and cushions - fabrics that fulfilled a specific ritual function. On them were embroidered various symbols associated with fertility, abundance, protection from disease and evil forces, carnal purity and fidelity. The same zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric elements can be seen in the decoration of aprons, cushions and cloths. They are the gifts of the wedding for the groom and his clan, for the bride, the bridegroom and the maid of honor. And the jewels for the chosen bride are given by the groom's family.
Various fabrics are also involved in the rite of introduction of the bride to her new home. These are - the mother-in-law's apron, the torn peshkir for the young ones, the girdle and the cushions for the newlyweds. These fabrics are semantically and symbolically linked to fertilization, birth and to ensuring the continuation of the family.
Each element of the costume carries a message, and through its graphic language our ancestors called blessings on the young family and the continuation of the lineage.

The exhibition is open until 17 March 2024.