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

Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the beheading of St. John the Forerunner

Photo: archive

On August 29, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the death of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist - on this day the saint was beheaded. For the Church of Christ, Saint John the Forerunner is the greatest among the prophets, and therefore his memory is honored six times a year. On September 23 the church celebrates the Feast of the Conception of the St. John the Baptist, on June 24 it marks the Nativity of John the Baptist, on August 29 - his beheading. On September the church celebrates the Feast Day of the Synaxis of John the Baptist. On February 24 it marks the first and second finding of the honorable head of Saint John the Forerunner. May 25 marks the third finding of the honorable head of Saint John.

On this day, the Church has designated a strict fast, without oil, as a sign of solidarity with the martyrdom of the saint. On this day, as a sign of sympathy for the sufferings of the saint, by analogy with his spilled blood, fruits and vegetables with a red color - watermelons, apples, tomatoes - are not eaten. People should not drink red wine, either.

In the folk calendar, the day is called Seknovenie because of the belief that on this day summer is "cut", day and night are "cut" - they become equal in duration. The water and the weather are starting to get colder. 




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

Bulgaria celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia

Today, Bulgaria celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. The center of the festivities is Plovdiv, where on this day in 1885, after the entry of the Golyamo Konare detachment into the..

published on 9/6/25 10:45 AM

Three points of views by Bulgarian historians on the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885

In June 1878, after the 10 th Russo-Turkish war in a row, at the Berlin congress, the lands in the Balkans inhabited by Bulgarians were divided up into five. Northern Dobrudja was handed over to Romania. Serbia got the Sanjak of Niš. The lands..

published on 9/6/25 8:05 AM

Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks start of ecclesiastical New Year on September 1

The New Church Year begins on September 1. The month of September is the seventh month of the year according to the Jewish calendar. It is associated with a number of biblical events, which is why it was designated as the beginning of the Church New..

published on 9/1/25 12:19 PM