Bulgarian culture resurged in the 19th century after five hundred years of Ottoman domination, writers and artists were working hard to awaken the national consciousness. Zahari Zograf (1810-1853) painted frescos following the Bulgarian medieval art tradition developed in the monasteries. Woodcarving pieces by anonymous monks have high meditative elaboration.

A great number of Bulgarian museums offer vast collections of such masterpieces, mainly of rice-sized figures representing saints.

Most of the Bulgarian poets had a violent and premature death, which made them national heroes. Hristo Botev (a rebellious poet from the 19th century killed by the Turks), Dimcho Debelianov (a lyric poet died during the World War I) and Geo Milev (a poet of the social movements following the World War I was kidnapped and killed by the Bulgarian police). Ivan Vazov is one of the few Bulgarian men of letters who lived longer than 30 years. His most famous novel, Under the Yoke, 1894, is a chronicle of the trials of the Bulgarians under Ottoman rule and mainly the 1876 April rebellion.

Bulgarian Orthodox psalms and hymns reflect the mysticism of the local fable and legends, while folk songs and dances have Thracian and Slavic origin with Turkish influence. Bulgarian folk music has attracted the interest of experts from all over the world. The world-famous female choir The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices has had many international successes, including the Grammy Music Award.

Most of the Bulgarians dishes consist of meat, potatoes and beans. The salads are traditionally served with local alcoholic drinks such as rakia and mastika.
Breakfast includes coffee and banitsa, a traditional Bulgarian pastry with whisked eggs and white rinse cheese. Banitsa is often taken with a fermented-millet beverage known as boza.

Bulgarian national holidays are 1 January, New Year's Day, 3 March, the Liberation from Ottoman Rule in 1878, 24 May, the Day of Enlightenment and Cyrillic Alphabet, and 25 December, Christmas.

The holiday of wine producers is on 14 February, called Trifon Zarezan. On this day the farmers prune the vineyards and pray for abundant vintage.

On 1 March, Bulgarians celebrate the spring season by tying each other red and white tassels, known as martenitsi. They are a symbol of good health and joy wishes and welcome spring.

The Rose Festival is celebrated in Kazanlak and Karlovo in the Rose Valley of Central Bulgaria during the first weekend of June. Rose growers and local people perform folk songs and dances and the rose harvest ritual.