Every year, on the first Saturday before the Day of Archangel Michael (8 November), Orthodox Christians mark Archangel All Soul’s Day, the last of the three All Soul’s days set down by the Christian Orthodox church. According to the canon, they all fall on a Saturday, a day set aside for our dear departed. After a divine service, a memorial service takes place at which believers pray for the souls of their deceased family members and relatives.
On the Friday before All Soul’s Day, Christians go to the graves of their loved ones where they clean, incense and put flowers on them. Finally, they pour red wine over the grave and light a candle as a symbol of the immortality of the soul. The incense on its part symbolizes pure prayer, the flowers – the virtues of the deceased. On Archangel All Soul’s Day people sit down to a shared meal that has to include seven different dishes (including the ones the deceased loved most). Food is given away on Archangel All Soul’s Day with the words “God rest”. Old people say if you see a fly or a butterfly come near you on this day, it is the soul of the deceased.
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..
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Clear
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy