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On September 14

It is the Day of the Holy Cross

This is one of the twelve great Christian feasts

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Photo: BTA

On September 14, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church bows down before the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord or Cross Day is one of the 12 great Christian holidays. 


It is one of the four days of the year on which, according to the Orthodox religion, the veneration of the Cross of the Lord is performed. The others are on the third Sunday of Great Lent, called the Exaltation of the Cross, on Good Friday before the Resurrection of Christ, and on August 1.

The holiday is associated with three events in the history of religion dedicated to the Life-giving Cross, i.e. The Crucifixion of Christ: the miraculous appearance of the Holy Cross to Emperor Constantine the Great in 312, the finding of the Cross on Golgotha ​​in 326, and its return from Persian captivity in 628.


According to church tradition, Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, discovered the tomb of the Lord, as well as the Cross of Christ. A temple was built over the cave of the tomb, which still exists today, solemnly consecrated on September 14, 335. Therefore, since 335, September 14 has been a holiday for all Christians.

More details about the traditions and significance of the holiday can be found in Radio Bulgaria’s publications on the topic:


Photos: BTA


Edited by Joan Kolev
English: R. Petkova



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