Given that the OG Bulgars were Turkic people that trace their lineage back to Attila and that Volga Bulgaria Islamized the Turkic tribes there is something of a bond of kniship between us and them.
A lot of the far right thinks we should have become muslims in the 8th century, helped the Caliphate smash Constantinople, then ravage all of Europe.
Yeah, no.
During much of the Ottoman yoke construction of churches was very limited, and there were not that many Bulgarian priests, with many of them being grecified.
Basically the entire institution was captured by Greeks loyal to the Turks.
A Bulgarian
Bulgarian Exarchate was re-established only in 1870, after much fighting with the Greek scum,may their all rot in hell, and even them the
its autocephaly was not recognized until the second half of the 20th century.
So, between the wars, the greeks and various other impediments, like the commies taking a dim view to church goers and infiltrating the church itself, religious rites and rituals became something you mostly do at home, with the family, on the specific holidays.
Burning of incense, prayer, asking your relatives for forgiveness, even whacking them over the back with a specially modifeid twig with yarn and doodads and beads all over it all became a private or village communal affair.