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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.
Today is the Holocaust Day and the Victims of Crimes against Humanity Day
3/10/2024 7:00:00 AM
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
3/8/2024 9:00:00 AM
Bulgaria marks The International Women’s Day – March 8
March 3rd - the National Day of Bulgaria
3/3/2024 8:00:00 AM
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
3/1/2024 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.
Anniversary of the death of Vassil Levski
2/19/2024 9:00:00 AM
Today is the 148th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest fighters for Bulgarian independence during the period of the Ottoman oprresion
Bulgarians Celebrate Love of Wine and Each Other
2/14/2024 9:00:00 AM
As lovers celebrate St Valentine's Day, many Bulgarians insist February 14 should be reserved for a traditional Bulgarian celebration - the feast of St. Trifon Zarezan.
ST.VLASSIOS/ BLASSIOS (also Hieromartyr Blaise)
2/11/2024 10:00:00 AM
Name day of Vlasso
ST. HARALAMBOS (Charalambos) the Martyr
2/10/2024 9:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone named Haralampij, Haralambi, Hari, Harry, Valentin/a, Valery, Valeria.
MEETING OF THE LORD
2/2/2024 9:00:00 AM
The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church.
WOLF DAYS - February 2-3
2/2/2024 8:00:00 AM
Name day of everyone names Simeon, Simeonka, Simona, Moncho (February 3rd).
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