Language, Traditions and Identity of the Bulgarians in Albania – Current State and Problems

Authors:

Pages: 53-65
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/NNDS2728

Abstract:

The text presents observations on the Bulgarian community living in Tirana (immigrants from different regions of Albania) with a focus on the importance of inherited language and traditions as a consolidating factor in the foreign linguistic and cultural environment. The preservation of the traditional garb and feasts in an urban context, as well as the use of language as a marker for declaring one’s own identity, is supplemented by the institutional role of the Bulgarian Sunday School functioning in the Albanian capital. The exploration of the current state of the community also includes the influence of the official recognition of the Bulgarian minority in Albania in 2017 on the self-determination of these Bulgarians and the expectations of the „homeland“ that this act generates.

Keywords:

Bulgarians in Albania, traditional garb, language, identity, Bulgarian Sunday School.

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