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ST. PROCOPIUS, the Bee-Keeper
Current News
Current News
ST. PROCOPIUS, the Bee-Keeper
7/8/2024 9:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Prokopi.
According to traditional beliefs, St. Procopius (in BG, St. Prokopi) is connected to the bee-keeping – hence his name. Early in the morning, bee-keepers’ wives bake two ritual loaves of bread so that bees would gather lots of honey. Before sunrise they take those loaves to the bee hives, burn incense and coat them in honey. Then they all go to the church service, carrying a bow of honey, which they leave for a night inside the church and take home the next day. That honey is believed to have unique healing abilities.
A ram is ritually slaughtered at a sacred place outside the village and then a large table is set for everybody to join. On this day every woman is supposed to makes a “grass bread” (a ritual bread with the image of a bee-hive). The popular concept is that the hive holds the bee family together and therefore this bread is given away only to relatives - to be healthy and to live long. No one is supposed to throw water among the bee-hives, especially “night water”. The story goes that once upon a time a woman, coming back from the fields, prepared the dough and kneaded it. She put it in the pan and threw it into the oven. While preparing the dinner, it became dark.
So she threw out the water from the trough right into the yard on the grass. They went to sleep and in the morning her hands became red, swollen and covered with white blisters. They took her to a medicine man and he said that she must have thrown out “night water” on the fairies and her hands will dry up. Everybody has remembered ever since that used water is never thrown out during the night. People put three coals in it and keep it at home until morning comes.
That day the Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of Holy Martyr Procopius, who died in great suffering for the Christian faith, being severely tortured by the order of the Emperor Diocletian in 303.
Armenia?s President on a visit to Plovdiv
9/10/2003 12:00:00 AM
The Armenian president, Mr. Robert Kocharian, arrived on a friendly visit to Plovdiv yesterday. Based on the interview with him in the Maritsa newspaper today, taken by Valentina Yeremieva, we lear...
Reminiscence of the writer Nikolay Haitov
9/9/2003 12:00:00 AM
Based on a publication in the Maritsa Newspaper:A new fountain with a bas-relief monument of the eminent Bulgarian writer Nikolay Haitov were unveiled by his fellow villagers in his home village o...
The archaeological findings ? an essential issue for Bulgaria
9/8/2003 12:00:00 AM
A new Thracian acropolis near the village of Novo Zhelezare was uncovered by the team of archaeologists, led by Dr. Georgi Kitov. It is part of the Thracian cult complex near the Starosel village. ...
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
9/5/2003 12:00:00 AM
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
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
9/3/2003 12:00:00 AM
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
9/2/2003 12:00:00 AM
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
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
8/29/2003 12:00:00 AM
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 ...
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