Every year the townspeople of Donchevo (population 1000) hold celebrations to commemorate the settlement of their village. About 90 per cent of Donchevtsi are descendants from, or members of, 100 ethnic Bulgarian families that had relocated there in 1940 from Asirlik, a village in what is now southeastern Romania (following the Second Balkan War and World War 1, the Bulgarian-Romanian border moved south). The Dobroudja regional government then allotted plots of land to them in Donchevo.

Over the years they established their households and cultivated wheat, corn, vegetables, fruit and raised livestock. Though agriculture remains important, these days most inhabitants work in industry or commerce in nearby Dobrich or Varna.

On November 1, Donchevtsi held a festival marking the official start of their residence there. Local journalist Roumen Todorov invited me and other foreign guests from Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico and The Netherlands to his town to partake in the ceremonies.

But first it was off to his mother's home. Like everyone else in Donchevo,  Todorov prepared a special meal consisting of pshenitsa (boiled wheat grains), gyuvech (vegetable casserole), banitsa (cheese strudel), tourshiya (cucumber, cauliflower, bell pepper and carrot pickles), bowls of grapes and pears, white and yellow goats' cheese and lyutenitsa (a pepper-tomato relish). No gathering would be complete without rakiya, or plum brandy. Some of the visitors preferred Roumen's pre-fermented grape wine and a juice made of cherry plums. We expressed surprise upon learning that all this was homemade.

"Everything here comes from our garden, except for the wheat and flour,"  Roumen said. We marvelled at the house itself. Built in 1957, Roumen's mother had decorated the dining room with traditional arts and crafts, including ceramic jars, icons, wooden spoons and toys, and deer antlers.

As parting gifts Todorov gave everyone sacks of fruit. As we walked to the festivities Roumen would greet passers-by. "I know most of the people here," he said.

Nearing the main crossroads that served as the town centre crowds of people came into view. Tent-like structures set up along the roadside selling decorations and toys, along with table booths displaying colourful candy canes, lollipops and toffee apples that harked back to medieval fairs.

None of the stallholders, as it transpired, were local. "We rotate around among the 64 villages in Dobroudja Oblast (province) during celebrations, holidays, festivals, weddings...or for no particular reason," explained one of the sellers.

The principal features of the centre were a church, the municipality building, and a park with a bust of Dimiter Donchev, a revolutionary figure (against Romanian rule), and the chitalishte, or the cultural and community centre. Its building housed a library, theatre hall and activity rooms. The villagers made their way in for a youth concert.

Inside, Donchevo mayor Paoun Stanchev welcomed everyone and opened the performance. It began with kindergarten children in their Sunday best reciting nursery rhymes and poems. Following that was a rendition by slightly older students of Little Red Riding Hood.

Next came a fairytale about a prince and princess, a fairy godmother and their subjects, all regally dressed. At the end they paraded before admiring parents and friends.

The performers moved up in chronological age. A group of boys performed a shepherds' stick dance. The girls followed with a maidens' dance. Six teenagers then performed a musical drama about first love. More dances followed. The finale featured a grand hora dance by all the performers. The audience applauded and cheered. For the foreigners, that Saturday provided a microcosm of the Bulgarian experience.