Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks Cheesefare Sunday

Photo: http://kanew.wordpress.com

Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks on March 13 Cheesefare Sunday (Forgiveness Sunday). The feast falls on the seventh Sunday before Orthodox Easter. By practicing forgiveness with one another, Orthodox Christians hope to invite God’s forgiveness and to begin Lent with a spirit of humility. Young Bulgarians bow to the elderly ones asking forgiveness for their offences. Chessefare Sunday is the last day before the start of the Great Lent. On this day strictly observant Orthodox Christians eat cheese, milk and other dairy food. Forgiveness Sunday marks the end of the Cheese Week, when meat products are forbidden, but dairy food may still be consumed. According to a popular egg custom performed in Bulgaria, people use a string or a thread to suspend a boiled egg from the ceiling. The family members circle round the thread and start knocking it with their foreheads to make it swing. Each one participating in the custom tries to catch the egg with their mouths. Sometimes a piece of cheese or halva (sweet made of sesame seed and sugar or other nut butters and sugar) substitute the boiled egg. On Forgiveness Sunday all eparchies with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church serve solemn morning and evening liturgies. 




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Major General Deyan Deshkov

Bulgaria to equip its military units with drone control simulators

By mid-December, all military units in the country will be equipped with drone control simulators, said Major General Deyan Deshkov, Commander of the Land Forces, at the Lyulyak training ground near Stara Zagora. He clarified that the drones have..

published on 11/7/25 11:21 AM

The state proposes the appointment of a special commercial administrator for Lukoil Bulgaria

Swiss commodity trader Gunvor said it has withdrawn its proposal to buy Lukoil’s foreign assets, including the refinery in Burgas, after the U.S. Treasury called it Russia’s ‘puppet’, Reuters reported. Prime Minister: Bulgaria has a..

published on 11/7/25 11:04 AM

Sofia and Kyiv discuss energy and defense cooperation

Bulgaria’s Premier Rosen Zhelyazkov and Ukrainie’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed energy security in the region and opportunities to strengthen cooperation in this area. The two held a phone conversation on November 6. They also discussed..

published on 11/7/25 9:33 AM