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

Today is the day of St. Andrew

Photo: pravoslavie.bg

As of the day of St. Andrew (Andreevden) the day begins to grow by one millet grain a day

Today the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called with liturgies held in churches across the country.

The saint, who was the first among the apostles to have been called by Jesus Christ witnessed his miracles, his death and his resurrection. In the Bulgarian lands St. Peter’s brother – St. Andrew is highly revered and often chosen as the patron saint of the family.

In popular belief it is said that as of the day of St. Andrew the day begins to grow by one millet grain a day, that is why in some parts of the country it goes by the name of Edrey, Edrevden, from “edur”, big.

On this day ritual loaves are baked and cereals and pulses which swell are put on the table – like lentils, peas, wheat – so that everything may grow during the year. In folklore beliefs St. Andrew is connected with bears – the biggest predators living in Bulgaria’s forests.

Read more about the St. Andrew’s Day legends, beliefs, customs here.



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

The restored second male statue from ancient city of Heraclea Sintica officially presented

Our lands are the cradle of ancient civilizations. Thanks to Bulgarian archaeologists, they are becoming known to the general public, said Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov at the presentation in Sofia of the restored statue of a man from the ancient..

published on 8/6/25 9:07 AM

No. 000001 – the turbulent history of the first Bulgarian banknote

The Regional History Museum in Gabrovo displays a modest, rectangular piece of paper measuring 10 by 15 cm : the first Bulgarian banknote — a twenty-leva bill with the serial number 000001. It was printed on August 1, 1885, in St. Petersburg, and this..

published on 8/1/25 9:15 AM
Father Julian Angelov

Father Julian Angelov – from Vidin to Berlin in service to God

Founding a Bulgarian Orthodox parish thousands of kilometers away from the homeland is no easy task, especially when the Bulgarian diaspora is scattered across vast distances. In Bulgaria we take for granted that every neighborhood in a large city has..

published on 7/28/25 1:48 PM