Thousands of Bulgarians Celebrate 'Hippie' July Morning Holiday

Thousands of Bulgarians flocked to the country's seaside in the wee hours of Friday to celebrate July's first sunrise - a tradition that has been celebrated for the last 30 years.

The "July Morning" event is dedicated to the famous eponymous song by Uriah Heep - and John Lawton did not miss the opportunity to perform it on Bulgarian soil for the fifth time. The cult song delighted thousands of spectators at the Kamen Bryag village near Varna, once again exactly at dawn.

Prior to Lawton, bands REV and Command 5 performed, followed by one of the country's most popular rock bands, B.T.R.

The July morning tradition dates back to the hippie period in the 1970s and 1980s and originated as a protest against the restrictions of the communist regime. Nowadays this meaning is lost but the sun worship as a symbol of a new beginning in life motivates young people to keep the tradition alive.

It was exactly at Kamen Bryag where the tradition started, but it is celebrated all across the seaside now, including near the cities of Varna, Burgas and Sozopol.

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