The city of Gabrovo

Gabrovo

Gabrovo is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire , as well as noted for its Bulgarian National...

, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

 is well-known for the unique sense of humour

Humour

Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...

 possessed by its citizens. Local humour

Humour

Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...

 centres around the alleged stinginess of its citizens and a rivalry with the neighbouring city of Sevlievo

Sevlievo

Sevlievo is a town in north-central Bulgaria, part of Gabrovo Province. Sevlievo is known as one of the wealthiest towns in Bulgaria owing to the well developed local economy, high employment rate and major foreign investments, such as the American Standard Companies factory...

. Gabrovo prides itself on being an centre for humour; the House of Humour and Satire

House of Humour and Satire

The House of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, is an exposition of traditional local humour art, including cartoons, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and verbal humour. The House combines features of a museum and an art gallery. The city of Gabrovo is also known as an international...

 in Gabrovo exists to promote humour both locally and internationally.

Citizens of Gabrovo reputedly excel in business and in bargaining, and developed their sense of humour as an aid to attract customers and improve business relations. As Gabrovo grew in industrial and economic importance, the city's brand of humour and reputation for shrewdness and economy spread nationally in Bulgaria.

Select Sayings

It is said that the people of Gabrovo:

• cut the tails off of their cats such that they can close the door faster when they let the cat out, in order to save heat. (Indeed, a black cat with a cut-off tail is one of Gabrovo's symbols).

• fit taps to eggs (as one might do with a keg) so as to tap only as much as needed for a soup and save the rest.

• turn their clocks off before they go to sleep to prevent wear and tear.

• put green spectacles on their donkeys so that the donkeys will mistake shavings for hay and eat it.

• sweat both in the smithy and when bargaining in the market place.

• heat their knives so that guests invited for tea cannot help themselves to butter.

• drop cats down chimneys instead of spending money on chimney sweeps.

• are so aggressive in business that when something new has only just hit the headlines somewhere, it has already been done in Gabrovo.

Select jokes

The following are a selection of well known jokes from Gabrovo.

• A citizen of Gabrovo throws a party, but too many people show up. So he goes to his neighbour for help.

"Hi, I've got a big problem! 15 guests showed up but I've only got 10 chairs! Do you have any extras?"

"Yes, my kids are away at college, so I've got a couple I'm not using"

"That's perfect; I'll send five to your house."

• Why don't people from Gabrovo buy refrigerators? Because they can't be sure the light goes off when the door's closed.

• Why do people dance in socks during weddings in Gabrovo? Because they listen to the music from the neighbouring town (in reference to Sevlievo
  Sevlievo
  Sevlievo is a town in north-central Bulgaria, part of Gabrovo Province. Sevlievo is known as one of the wealthiest towns in Bulgaria owing to the well developed local economy, high employment rate and major foreign investments, such as the American Standard Companies factory...
  
  ).

• Why do people from Gabrovo switch the lamp on and off every now and then when they're reading a book? To save energy while turning pages.

See also

• House of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo
  House of Humour and Satire
  The House of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, is an exposition of traditional local humour art, including cartoons, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and verbal humour. The House combines features of a museum and an art gallery. The city of Gabrovo is also known as an international...
  
  
• City of Gabrovo
  Gabrovo
  Gabrovo is a city in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire , as well as noted for its Bulgarian National...