On January 2, Christians pay honor to Saint Sylvester - Pope of Rome, who officially baptized Emperor Constantine I the Great.
According to popular beliefs, Saint Sylvester is considered the patron saint of animals. In Bulgaria the holiday is also called Karamanovden, Silvestri, Silvestrovden. In folk traditions the day is associated with paying respect to cattle - cows, oxen, etc.
On this day, people clean the barns and dump the manure that hasn't been thrown away since Christmas. On the night before the holiday young men who were carolers on Christmas Eve are once again divided into groups - this time to visit and bless the homes of farmers who have cattle.
On this day, people named Sylvester, Silvia, Silvana, Seraphim, Goran, and Goritsa also celebrate.
In popular belief, St George is the younger twin brother of St Demetrius . Ethnographers describe them as Christianised images of mythical heroes - strong, agile and swift. They are victorious, leaping over mountains and seas, releasing the waters,..
"You must have strong faith and pray - then the saint will help you and carry your prayer to God," says Father Georgi Markov of the Church of St. Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen near Sofia. He adds that he has often witnessed the miracles of St..
This year, 2025, marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature. On this occasion, the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis..
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