Current News

Current News

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

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

11/5/2022 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 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...
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
3/8/2023 9:00:00 AM
Bulgaria marks The International Women’s Day – March 8
TODOROVDEN
TODOROVDEN
3/4/2023 9:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Todor, Todorka, Teodor/a, Theo, Dora.
March 3rd - the National Day of Bulgaria
What happened on that day and how long has it been celebrated? The San Stefano Peace Treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed on February 19th (March 3rd, ...
Today is the BABA MARTA DAY
Today is the BABA MARTA DAY
3/1/2023 8:00:00 AM
If you by any chance visit Bulgaria on the first day of March you are certain to notice almost every person decorated with small tokens made from red and white woollen threads.
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)
2/19/2023 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...
Anniversary of the death of Vassil Levski
Today is the 148th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest fighters for Bulgarian independence during the period of the Ottoman oprresion