Current News

Current News

ARCHANGELSKA (GOLIAMA) ZADOUSHNITSA (Great All Souls’ Day) -

ARCHANGELSKA (GOLIAMA) ZADOUSHNITSA (Great All Souls’ Day) -

11/4/2023 9:00:00 AM

The Great All Souls’ Day (also called Michaelmas All Souls’ Day) is the first Saturday before Michaelmas. It is not only the last All Souls Day for the year, but also the largest one. Peopleare supposed to bring seven different meals for the treat at the graveyard – it is believed that this way they would hear the blessing of the dead during the coming Christmas fast.

Particular importance that day is given to the church ritual of smoking of incense. It is commonly believed that “the devil runs away from incense”. Candles are lighted on the graves of the dead, so that memory will not die in the soul of the living and the ashes of forgetfulness will not cover it. Water and wine are poured onto the grave. In the ancient Bulgarian commemoration tradition, the grave is considered to be a territory of the dead and a place where contact with the living ones could be achieved. The ritual pouring is a way of keeping the “life” in the dead person in the world beyond, by satisfying the dead person’s needs of food, wine and water.

Pouring wine onto the grave that day is usually done by the eldest woman present at the memorial service. She takes the vessel with wine and, starting from the place where the head of the deceased is supposed to be, she makes three circles to the left along the periphery of the grave. She makes the sign of the cross three times on the grave, and only then she breaks the ritual bread. Everyone gather round the meal, leaving an empty place for the deceased. Everybody puts the first bite on the ground and pours some of the wine, saying: “God bring peace to his soul!”

It is believed that at each memorial service, the soul eats to the full and the relatives try to prepare the dishes, which the dead person used to like best. In some villages people give new clothes to people who had participated in the burial as gifts. If during the memorial service a butterfly or a small fly flies over the meals, people believe the soul of the deceased is among them – visible yet untouchable.

March 27 -  International Day of Theater
March 27th is celebrated each year arounf the world as the International Day of Theater.
BLAGOVESHTENIE (ANNUNCIATION DAY)
BLAGOVESHTENIE (ANNUNCIATION DAY)
3/25/2024 9:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Blagovest/à, Blagoy, Blaga, Vangel, Evangelina, Bonka.Ritual table: fish (baked or boiled), flat cake, onion pastry.
TODOROVDEN
TODOROVDEN
3/23/2024 9:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Todor, Todorka, Teodor/a, Theo, Dora.
March 22nd – World Day of Water
March 22nd – World Day of Water
3/22/2024 11:00:00 AM
The World Day of Water has been appointed by a decision of the UN Ecology and Development Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 1992.
March 20 – International Francophony Day
The first "sommet de la Francophonie" took place in Paris in 1986. About 44 countries took part in it.
The German genius Rudolph Diesel was born on that day back in 1858
Although Diesel was born in Paris, his parents were German. His father was a leather craftsman, and his mother a governess and language tutor. Rudolf was a good student in primary s...
SIRNI ZAGOVEZNI (Shrove Sunday/ Cheese Fasting)
Ritual table: cheese pastry, rite bread, cheese pumpkin, eggs, white halvah with nuts, fish.
MESNI ZAGOVEZNI (Meat Fasting Day)
MESNI ZAGOVEZNI (Meat Fasting Day)
3/10/2024 11:00:00 AM
Mesni Zagovezni (Meat Fasting Day) - celebrated 8 Sundays before Easter. After the All Souls; Day (Goliama Zadoushnitsa) on Saturday, the following day, Sunday, people celebrate the Orthodox Chur...
Today is the Holocaust Day and the Victims of Crimes against Humanity Day
Bulgaria commemorates today “The Holocaust Day and the Victims of Crimes against Humanity Day”, appointed by a decree of the BG Ministerial Council on Feb.13th, 2003, which was celebrated for the first time ever that same year.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day
3/8/2024 9:00:00 AM
Bulgaria marks The International Women’s Day – March 8