Every year, on the first Saturday before the Day of Archangel Michael (8 November), Orthodox Christians mark Archangel All Soul’s Day, the last of the three All Soul’s days set down by the Christian Orthodox church. According to the canon, they all fall on a Saturday, a day set aside for our dear departed. After a divine service, a memorial service takes place at which believers pray for the souls of their deceased family members and relatives.
On the Friday before All Soul’s Day, Christians go to the graves of their loved ones where they clean, incense and put flowers on them. Finally, they pour red wine over the grave and light a candle as a symbol of the immortality of the soul. The incense on its part symbolizes pure prayer, the flowers – the virtues of the deceased. On Archangel All Soul’s Day people sit down to a shared meal that has to include seven different dishes (including the ones the deceased loved most). Food is given away on Archangel All Soul’s Day with the words “God rest”. Old people say if you see a fly or a butterfly come near you on this day, it is the soul of the deceased.
Many citizens of Sofia took advantage of the opportunity to see the Enina Apostle and the Argirov triod manuscripts which were exhibited today for two hours at the National Library "St. Cyril and Methodius". The event took place on the..
On the eve of St Athanasius' Day, one of the churches on the outskirts of Sofia is already preparing to welcome His Holiness the Metropolitan of Sofia and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil , who this year will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the church in the..
Atanasovden, also known as Midwinter in our folk calendar, is a holiday on which the Orthodox Church and our folklore pay tribute to St. Athanasius the Great – Archbishop of Alexandria and a fighter against Arianism (church heresy which rejects the..
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