December 4 is the church holiday of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, celebrated ‎by both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Barbara was a girl from a noble family, ‎beheaded for her Christian faith at the beginning of the 4th century. There is a ‎belief that from Varvara to Ignatius the day "rises" like a needle's tip. It also ‎‎"rises" from Ignacius to Vasil (from December 20 to January 1). On Varvara, ‎day and night meet and become equal. The holiday is also called Varvaritsa, ‎Varvarinden or Women's Christmas.‎

In traditional representations, Varvara is the patroness of children's diseases, ‎and above all, smallpox, called by our people by taboo names: grandmother, ‎aunt, sweet and honeyed. An evil, toothless and ugly grandmother - the image ‎of the disease "paints" Varvara's portrait as well. In order to propitiate Baba ‎Sharka (grandma Smallpox) and divert her from the children, the women ‎prepared a ritual stew in which they put various wheat and bean seeds. They ‎call it "varvara". Sweetened with honey, this stew is given to children, and also ‎to neighbors and relatives. There is a belief that throughout the day the children ‎should jump so that Varvara does not find them. ‎

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