Doesnt make that much sense translated in English, but it is brilliant! a pumpkin (tikva) in bulgarian is offensive word for an idiotic or uneducated person. "rolling bread, etc. against bad fortune" are folkloric rituals coming since pagan times school teachers and university professors have been on general strike for a few weeks now, demonstrating against the goverment's lack of interest and support to the situation of Education An interviewee: "We want to roll the pumpkins out of ourselves, out of the Government, and out of the nation [the State]. Bulgaria is the nation in Europe with the most 'pumpkin' management of Science!" A "hi-tech" tikva was presented and rolled by Physicists from BAS [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences] - "It symbolises the lauded attitude of the Bulgarian governments from all the Transition Years toward the production of Hi-Tech workforce" On the sign is written "Ministry of Education warns you: doing Science leads to chronic poverty" they should have done this dressed in lab coats!
A local joke: A man meets his school teacher 15 years later walking on the street. "Good afternoon, Mrs.! [the form of address to teachers is Mr. and Miss/Mrs.] Do you remember me, I was your student, quite a hooligan then...", etc. "Ooh, little Ivan, what a lad you have become! How did you recognise me after so many years!?" "By your coat, Mrs.!"
