Bulgarians - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. Bulgarians trace kinship bilaterally and the major kin group is the kindred. Close relatives are always members of one's kindred, but the importance of more distant relatives is shaped significantly by such factors as geographical distance, frequency of interaction, and interdependence in informal economic activities. Affinal relations between families of married couples are valued and fictive kin relations like godparenthood are of continuing importance. Kinship Terminology. The designation of kin follows the Eskimo system with some refinements, such as additional terms for many affinal relations.