3282, 3308 BULGARIA (Plovdiv / Stara Zagora) - Picking-up of roses in Rose Valley

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Posted on 04.12.2019, 27.12.2019
Located just south of the Balkan Mountains, between them and the eastern part of the lower Sredna Gora chain to the south, the Rose Valley consists of two river valleys, those of the Stryama to the west and the Tundzha to the east. The valley is famous for its rose-growing industry which have been cultivated there for centuries, and which produces close to half (1.7 tonnes) of the world's rose oil. The centre of the rose oil industry is Kazanlak, while other towns of importance include Karlovo, Sopot, Kalofer and Pavel banya.

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Roses need moisture and warmth and this is why almost all fields of rose oil are located there, where the winters are short and mild and the springs long and hot. Each year, festivals are held celebrating roses and rose oil. The picking season lasts from May to June. The gathering process, traditionally a woman's task, requires great dexterity and patience. For the production of 1 kg rose-water is used 1 kg of rose blossom, for the production of 1 kg rose-oil is used approximately 3500 kg of rose-blossom. To form a rose bush and start picking are required three years after planting it.

As for the bulgarian traditional costume, I wrote here a little about it. In this region prevails the closed tunic (soukman), which is put on over the shirt. It is quite often made of woolen black or navy - blue cloth, home woven. The soukmans are sleeveless in this area. At first the apron of the soukman folk costume had only a practical function. It gradually became the richest decorated part of the folk costume.

About the stamps
On the postcard 3282

The stamp is part of a serie dedicated to the roses, about which I wrote here.

On the postcard 3308
The stamps are part of the series Mushrooms, about which I wrote here.

References
Rose Valley, Bulgaria - Wikipedia
Rose Valley - Visit Plovdiv
Traditional Female Folk Costumes - National History Museum in Sofia website

Sender 3282, 3308: Dănuţ Ivănescu
3282: Sent from Sunny Beach (Burgas / Bulgaria), on 29.08.2018
3308 Sent from Nessebar (Burgas / Bulgaria), on 31.08.2018