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

Orthodox Christians venerate St. Anna - Mother of the Theotokos 

Photo: Archive

On December 9th we celebrate St. Anna - the mother of the Virgin Mary. Joachim and Anna had been childless for many years and prayed to God to grant them a baby. One day an angel of the Lord appeared to Anna and told her that she would give birth to a daughter, Mary, for the salvation of the world. Grateful for the news, she promised to dedicate the child to God. True to her word, she and her husband took the three-year-old girl to the temple. 

St Anna is the patron saint of marriage, family, motherhood and women. 

The Orthodox Church also honours St. Anna in the summer, on 25 July, when the day of her succession is celebrated. Today's day is known in popular tradition as St. Anne's Winter or St. Anne's Conception. Traditionally, the meal is fasted, as the feast falls during Christmas Lent. 
In Hebrew, the name Anna means grace, mercy, favour. Name Day on 9 December celebrates all those who bear the name Anna, Anka, etc.



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

Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Clement of Ohrid

On November 25, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the memory of St. Clement of Ohrid – a distinguished archbishop, teacher and scholar. He was among the most prominent disciples of the brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Holy Seven Apostles – the..

published on 11/25/24 9:10 AM

Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria pay homage to Saint Catherine

On November 24, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors St. Catherine (Sveta Ekaterina in Bulgarian) , who was one of the most educated women of her time. She lived in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries and came from a noble family in Alexandria...

published on 11/24/24 10:12 AM

St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral celebrates its feast day

The Patriarchal Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky is celebrating its temple feast today. The cathedral, a symbol of the Bulgarian capital, was built "in gratitude to the Russian people for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878". Who..

published on 11/23/24 7:05 AM