On November 8, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the seven archangels- Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salathiel, Jegudiel and Barachiel. In Bulgarian beliefs, the eldest one- Archangel Michael, Prince of Heavenly Host, stands closest to God. When the last hour of the earthly journey of the soul comes, Archangel Michael himself descends to separate it from the body.
On the Day of St. Michael the Archangel, families pray for protection from the heavenly host of angels. Believers consecrate their homes with holy water.
The Bulgarian Police celebrate the Day of St. Michael the Archangel as their professional holiday. It was celebrated for the first time in 1924. The holiday was suspended between 1944 and 1994.
Angel, Angela, Anzhela, Arhangel, Gavrail, Gavril, Mila, Milen, Milena, Mihail, Mihael, Mihaela, Ognyan, Plamen, Plamena, Rada, Radka, Radoslav, Rayko, Rayna, Rangel and Raya celebrate their name day on November 8.
After Cheesefare (Forgiveness) Sunday, the Great Lent has begun on March 3. Orthodox Christians will abstain from eating animal food including meat, eggs, milk and dairy products. The Great Lent symbolizes the 40 days which Jesus spent in the..
Batak is a name every Bulgarian remembers with deference and pain because the fate of the small town in the Rhodopes is scarred by one of the bloodiest events in national memory – the Batak massacre. During the first days after the outbreak of..
There is a map which helped usher in the birth of modern Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The Austro-Hungarian researcher Felix Kanitz (1829 – 1904) was the first West European to have travelled to more than 3,200 towns and villages..
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