CUSTOMS AND SPIRIT
   The area around the Park is famous for its crafts. The town of Troyan hosts Bulgaria's only museum of crafts and applied arts displaying the distinctive art of masters and crafts typical for this area, such as ceramics, artistic wood carving, iconography, artistic metal processing and textile.
   The most popular crafts in the Teteven area are copper products, iron mongery, woodcarving and weaving.
   Most developed on the southern part of the Park are the traditional practices of wool braiding and the production of rose oil. Kalofer is famous for its carpets, and the Kalofer area is known for its leather products, copper products, and linen and cotton cloth.
   Each year national and international exhibitions of Bulgarian and foreign masters are organized at the National Fair of People's Artistic Craft in the village of Oreshak. Numerous religious and civil holidays and traditions are celebrated in the area. These include the gathering of large groups of people in areas of the monasteries shown above during Christian celebrations.
   There are annual celebrations of the Day of Roses in settlements south of the Park and of plums and plum brandy in the town of Troyan.
   The town of Gabrovo is also famous for its many monuments of history and culture. The town has attained worldwide fame with the celebrations of humor and satire.

In the church songs St. Dimitar is glorified as a martyr, keeper of kings, man who disapproved wars and a harbor for those seeking help.

One of the most preferred Bulgarian Saints is St. Petka Paraskeva who lived in the XI century. When she was a young girl she heard in church the words from the Gospel: “The one who wants to follow me must renounce from himself, must take his cross and follow me!”

The Christian holiday Council of St. Archangel Mihail, called by the people “Rangel’s day” or Hrangel’s day” is celebrated in November because it is the ninth month since the creation of the world.

The winter rites in the Teteven region start with Christmas and the very preparation for the holiday.

Christmas or Big Christmas is one of the richest from ritual point of view holidays, known in Bulgaria since pagan days.

According to the Christian beliefs St. Atanas is the ruler of snow and ice.

According to the people’s belief spring comes with the arrival of Baba Martha or literally grandmother Martha. Her dual image of both a merry and happy, simultaneously approving and denying character represents the woman as the beginning of life and the elemental devastating beginning.

Seven weeks before Easter and one week after the Meat fasting is celebrated the Cheese fasting – a holiday, which marks the beginning of the longest period of fasting during the whole year. The festive dinner has the character of a ritual.

This holiday is dedicated to the horses.

In the people’s beliefs this day is connected to the returning of the migratory birds and the final spring awakening of nature.