This post reminded me of an interesting local curiosity. Bulgarians are generally a tough bunch. However, when it comes to dealing with the cold, they seem to be way too cautious. They put on very heavy coats when the weather is actually warm. In the restaurants they always ask you if you want your water cold or warm. In fact, even the "cold" water is a bit warm for my taste. I have developed the American liking for water with ICE, which is a no-no for Bulgarians. Add to this the belief that food that comes directly from the refrigerator is too cold to be consumed immediately and the panic associated with drafts and you get the picture. When it comes to drafts and wind, I also remember an old gypsy saying, which goes like this: дъжд да вали, сняг да вали, вятър да няма, which roughly means, rain is okay, snow is okay, as long as there is no wind (cold wind I assume).
What's the explanation for all this? My guess is that as an older society, back in the day Bulgarians (as probably people in some other countries) who did not have access to the "marvels" of modern medicine were super cautions not to catch a cold, which can lead to complications. This is still part of the local culture. A cold now is no big deal, but still this fear persists. Or maybe, as southerners, Bulgarians simply have an innate disliking of the cold.
