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

Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast day of St. Anthony

Photo: archive

Today the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the memory of the Venerable Anthony the Great. Bulgarians call the day Antonovden. Anthony is considered the founder of Christian monasticism. According to Bulgarian popular tradition Antonovden is celebrated to protect people from illness. Women should not spin or knit on this day, nor should they cook beans or lentils so as not to anger the plague, pox or measles. 

Folk tradition has it that Anthony and Athanasius were two twin brothers who were blacksmiths and were the first to invent the blacksmith's tongs.That is why Antonovden and the next one - Atanasovden, are celebrated as holidays of blacksmiths, ironmongers and knifemakers.



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

BNR's Radio Bulgaria starts a podcast about our Orthodox communities abroad

From 31 January 2025, the first podcast about Bulgarian Orthodox communities abroad - Bridge of Faith - will be launched. The concept is the brainchild of the team of the Bulgarian National Radio's (BNR) overseas programme - Radio Bulgaria, and is being..

published on 1/31/25 7:15 AM
Tsar Boris III (1894-1943)

Tsar Boris III Unifier remembered by his son Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

It is 131 years since the birth of Tsar Boris III, dubbed unifier. Boris Saxe-Coburg-Gotha found himself at the head of Bulgaria after the abdication of Tsar Ferdinand after the defeat of the country in World War I. The young monarch was crowned..

published on 1/30/25 6:10 AM

Ancient city Heraclea Sintica presented through 3D glasses at international tourist expos

The ancient city Heraclea Sintica is among Bulgaria's most attractive tourist sites presented at international tourist exhibitions in Vienna and Stuttgart , Katya Stoyanova, head of the project "Restoration, conservation and socialization of Heraclea..

published on 1/27/25 11:06 AM