The Bulgarian orthodox calendar includes days of celebration of popular Christian saints. These are specials days for all the individuals who are named after a Saint too. Name days, as they are commonly referred to, are celebrated in a similar way to birthdays. The host will often set a festive table worthy of the occasion with plenty of food and drinks for his/her guests.
6th of Jan – Yordanovden – the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan
People tend to gather around rivers and lakes for the main ritual on this special day. The priest in the community will throw a wooden cross in the icy cold water of a nearby river or lake. In a matter of seconds locals will follow the cross, jump in the water to retrieve it and hand it back to the priest.
The first one to do so will be healthy and happy during the whole year. The priest will perform a holy liturgy wishing everyone good health and prosperity. People will take home small quantities of holy water, from the nearby church and bless the whole household.
The town of Kalofer takes a center stage in the national news on this very day. Men from the town enter the cold waters of Tundzha river and perform a traditional dance. The sound of Bulgarian bagpipes and drums will echo through the river valley.
14th of Feb – Trifon Zarezan
Saint Triphon is the patron saint of winemakers and grape growers. 14th of February is still celebrated in many towns and villages. The day starts with the ritual of pruning the grapevines.
Locals will choose one of them to carry the honorary title “King of the grapevine”. There is plenty of homemade wine available. Happy families toasting each other’s health and rich harvest for the whole community.
6th of May – Gergiovden – St. George’s day
Saint George is the patron saint of shepherds in Bulgaria. He is also the protector of the Bulgarian Army. Saint George is commonly depicted in a scene as a young warrior riding a horse and defeating a dragon.
As part of a well-known ritual shepherds will present a sacrificial lamb in the name of the saint. It must be the first-born male lamb in the year. The traditional table is set for a feast. The whole lamb is slow roasted in a large clay oven.
Georgi and Gergana are popular Bulgarian names for boys and girls respectively. They will often celebrate this day with friends and family. As an old saying goes, there are no invitations for a name day, everyone is welcomed.
6th of Dec – Nikulden – St. Nicholas’s day
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of seamen, fishermen and bankers. He is often depicted as an old man with white hair and white beard.
The festive table is set for the duration of the whole day and in the center of it is a fish meal. Most Bulgarians tend to purchase a carp on this day. There is a delicious recipe for stuffed carp with rice and walnuts roasted in an oven. A fish soup is also popular in parts of the country.
Calendar of popular Bulgarian Name Days
1st of January – Vasil and Vasilka
6th of January – Yordan and Yordanka
7th of January – Ivan and Ivanka
17th of January – Anton
18th of January – Atanas
14th of February – Trifon
17th of February – Todor
12th of April – Lazar
13th of April – Tsvetan and Tsvetanka
6th of May – Georgi and Gergana
28th of June – Petar
17th of September – Vyara, Nadezhda and Liubov
26th of October – Dimitar
6th of December – Nikola, Nikolai
27th of December – Stefan
