St. George’s day in Bulgaria

Saint George is a martyr of the Christian faith. He was a soldier in Roman army under the emperor Diocletian. Born around year 280 in the province of Cappadocia and was given the title of Trtibune at his late 20.
He is one of the most revered saint in the Eastern Orthodox church. The myths of the Saint George and the Dragon is one of the main motives in every Icon painted by the craftsmen of the Church. That’s of course a myth. St. George falls protecting his beliefs, being killed by the Emperor’s praetorians.

 

Anyway. We are not that religious to dive in depth. Actually, this holiday is more in tradition than in religion.

On St. George’s day for a first time in the new year, our grand mothers were making a cheese from sheep milk. It was important not to make the cheese with salt, so the sheep’s milk will not dry. The whole chunk of cheese is covered with cloves of freshly grown herbs. The morning, every home’s front door is decorated with blossomed fruit branch, so the spring’s force and healthiness to be transferred to the home’s inhabitants. On the same day the old women made “magics” with thorn branches to banish the evil from the home like garlic, hawthorn, blackberry or nettle.

The most important thing, almost every family is doing at this holiday is buying big piece of lamb meat. Tradition says, this should be the first male Lamb born in the new year. On his head is put а floral wreath and on his right horn is attached a small lit candle just before the Sacrificial slaughter (sorry, can’t find softer words). Before the sacrifice, the Lamb is fed with fresh grass and herbs. The blood is then splattered to the eastern wall of the house and the rest of it is burried beside the house on clean spot over which is not allowed to be stepped.

Funny, eh?! 😀 Supposed to be Christian holiday, but we Bulgarians are such Pagans and Wiccans.

But don’t worry about us. We are not savages. This holiday is for the family after all. There is big ritual bread baked especially for the evening. Kurban (Курбан) which is a kind of Sacrificial rite soup. Roasted lamb. Often some kind of stew, and of course red wine and sweets for the children.

It is also the holiday of our Army. All the soldiers are allowed to drink … one beer.

Everyone having name connected with St. George is having name day. Apparently, that name is one of the most popular ones in Bulgaria.

• Georgi (Георги)
• Gergana (Гергана)
• Gerry (Гери)
• Ginka (Гинка)
• Galya (Галя)
• Ganka (Ганка)
• Gancho (Ганчо)
• … and many others

St. George day in Bulgaria is always on 6-th of May.