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

Bulgarians associate Day of St. Anthony with protection from diseases

Photo: library

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of St. Anthony the Great, one of the first Christian hermits and founder of monasticism. He was born in Egypt in the year 251 and lived for 105 years. After a long spiritual struggle he achieved holiness and received the gift of healing from God.

Bulgarians call the day Antonovden. More than 80,000 people with the names of Anton, Antonia, as well as those named Andon, Donika, Doncho, Donka, Dona, Toncho, Tonka, Tonko, Tonya, Tony celebrate today.

In the folk calendar, Antonovden is associated with rituals performed for protection against diseases. According to legends, St. Anthony and St. Athanasius were brothers, who invented the blacksmith tongs. Therefore, the Day of St. Athanasius follows Antonovden and all blacksmiths and ironworkers celebrate.




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

110 years since the test flight of the first Bulgarian aeroplane

On 10 August 1915, the first Bulgarian-built aeroplane took to the skies for a test flight in Bozhurishte. It was designed by inventor Assen Yordanov, whose name still features in the textbooks used to train pilots and engineers today. From an early..

published on 8/10/25 8:50 AM

Exhibition in Sozopol showcases monuments from ancient cities around the Black Sea

A trilingual exhibition titled “Egyptian Cults around the Black Sea” opens today at 6 PM at the Archaeological Museum in Sozopol , according to BNR – Burgas. Part of an international research project, the exhibition is organized by the Institute of..

published on 8/7/25 5:55 PM
The building of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox church

Bulgarian Orthodox Church calls for vigilance against self-proclaimed spiritual leaders

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has issued an official statement on “pagan neo-Hindu propaganda with pseudo-Christian elements”. The bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church call for greater vigilance against “touring gurus, self-proclaimed “spiritual..

published on 8/7/25 10:14 AM