Current News

Current News

ST. SAVA (also: St. Savva or St. Sabbas the Sanctified)

ST. SAVA (also: St. Savva or St. Sabbas the Sanctified)

12/5/2023 8:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Sava, Slavka, Slav, Vladislav, Slavi. The name Sava comes from the Old Greek for "Saturday" (having the meaning of "foreseeing").































































In folk legends this is the holiday of saint Androgin. That is why in some villages Sava is a woman, a saint, sister of St. Varvara and St. Nicholas. At other places Sava is a man, protector of wolves, also called "wolf herd".































































That day childless women get up very early and sift the flour in a new sift, turned upside down. The oldest woman in the house pronounces the words: "Turn the sift, my child, and your belly will be turned". And they believe that after the ritual bread is given out at crossroads, the woman will have a child within a year.































































Saint Sabbas the Sanctified was born in the fifth century in Cappadocia, in the pious Christian family of John and Sophia. His father was a military commander. Journeying to Alexandria on military matters, his wife went with him, but they left their five-year-old son in the care of an uncle. When the boy reached eight years of age, he entered the monastery of St. Flavian, located nearby. The gifted child quickly learned to read and became an expert on the Holy Scriptures. In vain did his parents urge St. Sabbas to return to the world and enter into marriage. At seventeen years of age he received monastic tonsure, and attained such perfection in fasting and prayer that he was given the gift of wonderworking. After spending ten years at the monastery of St. Flavian, he went to other monasteries. St. Sabbas lived in obedience at this monastery until the age of thirty.































































He was later blessed to seclude himself in a cave. On Saturdays, however, he left his hermitage and came to the monastery, where he participated in divine services and ate with the brethren. After a certain time St. Sabbas received permission not to leave his hermitage at all, and he struggled in the cave for five years. After several years, disciples began to gather around St. Sabbas, seeking the monastic life. As the number of monks increased, a lavra sprang up. When a pillar of fire appeared before St. Sabbas as he was walking, he found a spacious cave in the form of a church.































































St. Sabbas founded several more monasteries. Many miracles took place through the prayers of St. Sabbas: at the Lavra a spring of water welled up, during a time of drought there was abundant rain, and there were also healings of the sick and the demoniacs. The saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 532.
In honour to the Day of Plovdiv
In honour to the Day of Plovdiv
9/6/2003 12:00:00 AM
In honour to the Day of Plovdiv, after a 12-year silence, the first Singing Fountains in Bulgaria were released, working again in its full glory. The very pond the fountains are placed in, is part ...
The celebrations of the Day of Plovdiv
Each city has a special Feast Day to celebrate, and Plovdiv is not exclusion to that rule ? the citizens of Plovdiv celebrate the Plovdiv Day each year on September 6th. Our city will be very beaut...
The Pamporovo Mountain Resort
The Pamporovo Mountain Resort
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM
   Information about the resort based on the Pamporovo Info Centre:   Location: the Central Rhodopes   Altitude: 1650 m   Closest peak: Snezhanka Pe...
September ? the month of cultural events in Plovdiv
Based on a publication from the Culture Pages of the Maritsa newspaperThe first item of news is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great artist Zlatuy Boyadzhiev, which will...
Cultural Events in the Balabanov House in the Old Town
Based on a publication in the Maritsa newspaperYesterday the Plovdiv Mayor, Dr. Ivan Chomakov, opened the already traditional for Plovdiv National Autumn Painting Exhibition. The opening took p...
Exercise Cooperative Key 2003
Exercise Cooperative Key 2003
9/1/2003 12:00:00 AM
The Defence Ministry has set a 2.4 million leva budget for the international air force exercise Cooperative Key 2003 in September, Air Force HQ commander Gen. Dimiter Georgiev told the press Thursd...
Kazanluk (Southern Bulgaria) and UNESCO
Kazanluk (Southern Bulgaria),  - UNESCO is studying the Valley of Thracian Rulers project, UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura told BTA in response to a question. He is the first UNESCO ...
4.5 M Tourists to Visit Bulgaria in 2005
Bulgaria expects some 4.5 million foreign tourists in 2005, reads the Tourism Development Strategy, Deputy Minister of Economy Dimitar Hadjinikolov informed in Varna. US$2 million revenues to the f...
President Kwasniewski Cruised on a Warship
Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov cruised on a warship from the coastal city of Varna to Nessebar. The missile corvette 'Lightening&#...
Hundreds to Observe the Mars' Radiance
  The observation of the Great Alignment of Mars and the Earth with the 15-cm telescope in the planetarium in Smolyan town will start from today on. The doors of the biggest planetarium in this c...