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

Ivanovden is among the favorite winter holidays

The folk custom "Kapanki" in the village of Reselets near the town of Cherven Bryag
Photo: BTA

Today, The Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint John the Baptist, also known as Saint John the Forerunner, because he prepared people for the coming of the Savior. The day dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, known in Bulgaria as Ivanovden, is marked immediately after the Feast of Epiphany, in order to honor the Baptist, who performed the Divine baptism of the Son of God. Saint John proclaimed God's will and called people to repentance, as God had endowed him with the ability to see human sins. He baptized the repentant in the waters of the Jordan River, where they were freed from their sins to be reborn for a righteous life.

In Bulgaria, the ritual bathing in rivers and fountains, reminiscent of the baptism in the Jordan River, is still practiced in various places.

Ritual bathing of the carolers on Ivanovden in the village of Ivanovo, Ruse District Regardless of the weather conditions, brave individuals wade into the icy waters of bodies of water blessed on Epiphany. In other places, people douse themselves with large amounts of ice-cold water, again for purification and to strengthen both the spirit and the body.

The festive table is abundant and includes all traditional Bulgarian winter dishes- bean soup, oshav (dried fruit compote), banitsa (cheese pie), grilled flat sausage, pork ribs with cabbage. etc.

All who bear the names Yoan, Ivan and their derivatives celebrate their name day today. Nearly 350,000 people celebrate their name day on Ivanovden. This is why the feast is revered almost like a national holiday, as all Bulgarian families celebrate it in a due manner.

See also:

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: BTA; BGNES



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

Bulgaria's largest church from the National Revival Period celebrates its feast on the Assumption of the Theotokos

The history of the largest Bulgarian church in Bulgaria from the National Revival period "The Assumption of the Virgin Mary" in the town of Pazardzhik is long and interesting. It is assumed that the first church there was built in the 17th century. It..

published on 8/15/25 7:25 AM

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