If you think that 14 February is the high point of the Bulgarians' ability to squeeze culturally different feasts into a single day, think again.

If you are visiting Bulgaria in the second half of May, do not be alarmed by the excited hoards of heavily made-up, eccentrically-dressed teenagers roaming the streets and frantically screaming out something (more on this later) at the top of their voices. Despite appearances, they are not members of some mysterious sect – they are simply celebrating their graduation from high school.

Kapka Kassabova's newest book causes stir in the UK. Coming to Bulgaria soon

The factories worked and everyone had a job, there was no crime, the army was strong and every family had two-week holidays at the seaside: for a significant number of Bulgarians, Communism was a golden era of prosperity and security that outshone democracy, with its freedom of movement, speech and entrepreneurship. It is not only the generations who were young during Communism that feel this way. Many Bulgarians born too late to have first-hand experience of the regime share the same sentiment.

Even fluent Bulgarian speakers, including people who were actually born in this country, sometimes have a difficulty to understand what's really going on in the minds of their fellow citizens. Applying Western rational thought does not help since it is unable to dissect the thinking patterns of the Bulgarian society.

Balkan range hits Black Sea at surreal post-Communist antiutopia

Tyrant to his country, benefactor to his village

Dead Bulgarian clairvoyant makes international news

Questions outnumber answers in many places in Bulgaria

City oft-compared to Mordor is hidden gem