Baba Hoods

You see them everywhere in Bulgaria. They are abundant in the small towns and villages, but scarce in the large cities. They come in many different shapes and sizes, colors and textures. They are Baba (grandma) hoods. For those of you who don’t know what baba hoods are, let me try to articulate there bad assness in writing. Like their cousin headwear apparel bandanas, these too are tied around your head. Similarly to the bikers’ tradition of bandanamania, baba hoods are dawned proudly above most babas in Bulgaria. Unlike biker bandanas though, they do not have a proudly displayed eagle or an American flag on them. They come in patterns that can only be compared to really bad wallpaper from the 60’s and 70’s. Each has a unique smell which is a direct result from long hours in the field and smells from the kitchen. The colors range from simple black to rainbow colored “skittle” head types of hoods. As I asked around about why the hoods are so important to a Bulgarian baba, I was surprised by some of the answers.

1) To protect their colored hair from the elements, such as rain, wind and other things that could affect the red colored hair.
2) It’s cheaper then a hair brush. Why stress in the morning about what to do with your hair when you can just put a piece of cloth around your head and call it a day.
3) Prevents alien attacks
4) Fashion Statement. What better way to make your fellow baba neighbors jealous then by wearing a new fashionable baba hood. They also will make all the old grandpas drool (not from being over medicated) by strutting their stuff in front of them with their new hoods.
5) Used for aroma therapy.
6) So they can be recognized by their family and community
7) Aerodynamic. The curvature of the hood allows for a tight forming fit around the head that enables the 80 year old to reach maximum speed faster. Imagine them without the hoods.
8) It can double as a handkerchief.
9) Being “Hip”. These hoods make them look and feel younger.

Feel free to add more reasons for this phenomenon in Bulgaria and remember to have a great St. Patrick’s Day!!

Until Next week, this is


Stay Classy Bulgaria