Traditions & NameDays

As early as 7000 years B.C., 3000 years before the Egyptians, traders from this land, now known as Bulgaria, had crossed up and down the Mediterranean. This long and winding history gave a source of not only great national pride but also an inspiration for a new national spirit. Much has perished through all these millennia, but even more has remained - a rich spiritual world which will shower you with the colours, rhythms and melodious songs of living Bulgarian folklore, the unfading beauty of Bulgarian arts and crafts, the gaiety and vivacity of Bulgarian festivals and customs, the piquant taste of Bulgarian cuisine and the delicate fragrance of Bulgarian wines.

Plovdiv region and the city, villages and towns therein, with its remnants of the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman civilizations, count among their wealth an unusually diverse culture, parts of which have remained unchanged for centuries. In this section of Plovdiv Guide, we offer you a trip through the land which has been so richly endowed by God with elegant beauty and invite you to discover its traditions, customs and rituals.
ST. AGATHA (Nameday for Agatha) - February 5
Name day of everyone named Agata.The Holy Virgin Martyr Agatha was the fifteen-year-old daughter of rich and respected Christian parents from the city of Palermo (formerly Panormos) in Sicily. Dur...
ST. THEODOR  STRATILAT - February 8
Theodor lived in the beginning of 4th c., during the reign of the emperors Constanine and Licinius. He was famous for his virtues, beauty and bravery. He was chosen to be a “stratilat” (meaning “leade...
ST. HARALAMBOS (Charalambos) the Martyr - February 10
Name day of everyone named Haralampij, Haralambi, Hari, Harry, Valentin/a, Valery, Valeria.Honey and beehives are sanctified that day by performing a ritual for health and rich harvest. On St. Har...
ST.VLASSIOS/ BLASSIOS (also Hieromartyr Blaise) - February 11
Name day of Vlasso.Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the holy martyr St. Vlassios (Blassios; Blaise), the Sebastian bishop, on that day. He died as a martyr during the time of the Roman Empero...
Nameday of Evlogi and Zoya...
Name day of everyone named Valentin, Valentina, Valya. A feast that has nothing to do with the traditional calendar but gets more and more popular lately. There are varying opinions as to the origin...
Nameday of Evstati, Evstatia (meaning "steady", "sturdy")....
BABA MARTA DAY (the "Martenitsa" Day) - March 1
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. Then from late March to...
ST.GERASIMUS - March 4
Name day of everyone named Gerasim.This well-known saint lived in the 5th c. He first learned asceticism in the Egyptian Thebaid, then went to the Jordan and founded a community there of about sev...
FORTY HOLY MARTYRS - March 9
Name day of everyone named Mladen, Mladenka.According to the Bulgarian national traditions, it is believed that land is getting warmer and ready to be cultivated. That day, the sun is turning to t...