The Bulgarian Tradition 'July Morning' on 1st of July

Hundreds of people gather in various places in Bulgaria to watch the sun rise on the 1st day of July.

As part of the tradition, the largest number of people gather along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

The first sun rays are usually met with Uriah Heep’s song ‘July Morning’. People gather around fires, sharing drinks and playing music, while they wait for the sunrise.

The July Morning tradition dates back to the hippie period in the 1970s and 1980s and originated as a protest against the restrictions of the communist regime. The meeting of the sunrise was a symbol of meeting a new beginning and a better future. Nowadays, this meaning is lost, but the sun worship as a symbol of a new beginning in life motivates young people to keep the tradition live.

For seventh year in a row, rock music lovers got together to meet the first sun rays on the July 1 on the bank of the river Danube near the town of Tutrakan.

The sun rose at 5.37. The culmination of the rock marathon was the song “July morning” performed by the legendary vocalist of Uriah Heep, John Lawton.