NAME DAYS
Оn 6 January the Orthodox Church celebrates
Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord with believers taking a dip in freezing
waters to wash their sins away. Epiphany (Yordanovden in Bulgarian) is one of
the major Christian holidays in Bulgaria.It’s also known as Bogoyavlenie,
Voditsi, Vodokrushti and celebrates the consecration of the holy cross.
According to the Bible, on that day, John the
Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
Epiphany day in Bulgaria is celebrated with festive
liturgy in the churches and rituals involving water.The key rituals
on Yordanovden/Epiphany (Theophany) day are related to the beliefs in the
healthy power of water. On that day, during the church service, water is
consecrated. After the service, the priest throws the cross into the river and
according to the traditions bachelors swim into the icy waters to take it out .
Whoever takes
it out is supposed to be healthy and happy. He should go around the village
with the cross in his hands and everybody should give him gifts. If the cross
dropped in the river freezes that means that the year is going to be very
healthy and fruitful. A number of rituals with consecrated water are performed
on Yordanovden/Epiphany day - early in the morning a pure girl washes the home
icon; sick people are sprinkled or bathed with water from the river where the
cross was dropped, and then everyone washes their faces and hands for good
health.
The dishes laid out on the table on the
eve of Epiphany had to be meatless. They would include millet bread or dodgers,
cabbage leaves stuffed with grits, boiled wheat, bean stew, walnuts and wine
http://bnr.bg/en/post/100505144/male-and-female-voditsi-yordanovden-and-ivanovden
IVANOVDEN (St. John’s Day) - January 7th
On 7th January the Orthodox Church celebrates
the Day of Saint John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan
River.
The feast is called Ivanovden (John is Ivan in
Bulgarian, so Ivanovden means the Day of John).
Saint Ivan (John) is a patron saint of
“brotherhood”, so on that day the men perform the so-called
"Ivanovstvo" ritual: they step in the glowing embers with their right
bare foot and after that they become fellow-brothers.
http://bnr.bg/en/post/100509041
http://www.novinite.com/articles/165802/Over+300+000+Bulgarians+Celebrating+St+John+the+Baptist+on+Wednesday
Day of St. Anthon-17 January
In
Bulgarian tradition this is the day celebrated by all people named Anton,
Antonia, Andon, Antoaneta and also Doncho, Donka and their derivatives. Popular
tradition sets down a number of prohibitions connected with the belief that
Anthony is the patron saint of the plague, smallpox, anthrax and diseases as
such. In folklore practice these pestilences are called “aunties”, “sweet and
honeyed”, “blessed” so as to appease them. Hence the other name of this feast
day – Auntie’s Day. In almost all parts of the country yeast free bread is
baked, coated in treacle or honey, chunks of which are handed out for health.
One of the loaves is left in the attic – for the “auntie” (the plague); pieces
are left for all other diseases as well.
On the day
of St. Anthony women must not do any sowing or knitting – if they were to prick
their fingers, they would heal very slowly and would vex the diseases. For the
same reason no beans or lentils must be cooked (beans and lentils are thought
to resemble the pox rash).
http://www.burgasmuseums.bg/index.php?tab=ethno&page=encyc&enc=rituals&eid=135&lang=en
http://12121.hostinguk.com/midwife.htm
MUMMERS FESTIVALS
http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/134/Kukerski_festival_Starchevata2011_Razlog
http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/129/Festival_na_maskaradnite_igri_Surva_Pernik
Kukeri is a pagan Bulgarian tradition of Thracian origins - in ancient times the old Thracians held the Kukeri (Mummers’) Ritual Games in honour of god Dionysus. The Kukeri games are performed by men only, dressed in colourful hand-made costumes and wearing scary masks. Each has also a leather belt around the waist with huge copper bells (chanove) attached to it.
The mask, according to folklore beliefs, is a
protection from the harmful influence of impure powers. It represents a head of
a peculiar creature with a scary face. Different masks could have gaping jaws,
horns, tails, or snapping beaks. They are decorated with
threads, ribbons, laces and usually represent animals like goats, bulls, rams,
or even chicken. Some of the masks are double-faced. On one of the sides, the
nose is snubbed and the face is good-humored, on the other side, the nose is
hooked and the face is ominous. Those masks symbolize the good and the bad
which co-exist in the world.
The ritual
is performed between Christmas and Lent by costumed men, who walk around and
dance to scare away the evil spirits, as well as to provide a good harvest,
health, fertility, and happiness.
Similar rituals can also be found in
Romania, Serbia, Italy and Spain.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=123847
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