On July 20, Orthodox Christians mark the day of St. Elijah. Bulgarians call this holiday Ilinden and in folklore traditions St. Elijah is seen as a saints who is master of hail, thunder, and lightning.
In folk tales the saint has a chariot of fire and as he rides in it he chases a dragon (“lamya”) that feeds on the wheat in the fields. Perhaps, this notion is connected with the miracle of his departure from the earthly world as it is said that St. Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire and brought alive to heaven.
A beautiful song from the repertoire of Daniel Spasov and Milen Ivanov tells about the supernatural powers of "Old Saint Elijah".
Editor: Albena Bezovska
The testimonies of those who took part in the fateful events of 1876 are numerous and often contradictory. But the letters and documents about the April Uprising, which led to the liberation of Bulgaria , paint a fuller picture of the events that goes..
76 years after his death, the remains of the first Bulgarian Tsar of the Third Bulgarian Tsardom, Ferdinand I, were returned to the "Vrana" Palace and his last will has finally been fulfilled. The Tsar wrote that he wished to be..
In the centuries-old tradition of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the laity have always greeted the new cleric or bishop with exclamations of "worthy". In this way they express their respect and hope that he will wisely lead the congregation to spiritual..
sunshine, cloud, rain and thunder
Mostly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy