Name day of everyone named Pavel, Pavlina, Polya. The East Orthodox calendar officially celebrates St.Pauls Day on June 29th, the Day of St.st.Peter and Paul, but in many regions of Bulgaria it is separately celebrated on the next day, June 30th. St.Pauls Day, or Pavlovden as it is called in Bulgarian, is associated with rituals for avoiding fire, thunder or hail.
It is strictly forbidden to work on that day (especially on the field) and to dart any kinds of fire (even to cook).
St.Paul's Day, or Pavlovden as it is called in Bulgarian, is associated with rituals for avoiding fire, thunder or hail. It is strictly forbidden to work on that day (especially on the field) and to dart any kinds of fire (even to cook)... Even bread is not prepared on that day, according to the tradition in eastern Thrace.
Apostle Paul, whose name means "small", (his real name was actually Saul) was a Jew from the town of Tarsus in Asia Minor. He received a very good education but he did not at least had any inclination towards Christianity - on the contrary, he was persecuting its advocates. Once, while on a trip to Damascus on a special task by the high priests to persecute Christians, he saw a light and heard a voice saying: Saul, Saul, why are you sending me away?
Terrified by the divine light, Paul asked: God, what do you want me to do? Having arrived to Damascus, he was not able to see for three days. But doing what God asked him to do, he got his sight back again, and from then on he started spreading the faith of Chist. Paul traveled far and wide - Cypress, Macedonia, Spain. He died as a martyr on June 29th, 67, alongside with Apostle Peter. His death was accompanied by a number of miracles. According to the legend, the already decapitated head of Paul continued praise God, and where it fell three springs appeared (believed to be the place of todays fountain Tre Fontane in Rome).