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

Christians mark Day of St. Sylvester

Photo: library

On January 2, Christians pay honor to Saint Sylvester - Pope of Rome, who officially baptized Emperor Constantine I the Great.

According to popular beliefs, Saint Sylvester is considered the patron saint of animals. In Bulgaria the holiday is also called Karamanovden, Silvestri, Silvestrovden. In folk traditions the day is associated with paying respect to cattle - cows, oxen, etc.

On this day, people clean the barns and dump the manure that hasn't been thrown away since Christmas. On the night before the holiday young men who were carolers on Christmas Eve are once again divided into groups - this time to visit and bless the homes of farmers who have cattle.

On this day, people named Sylvester, Silvia, Silvana, Seraphim, Goran, and Goritsa also celebrate.




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 celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia

Today, Bulgaria celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. The center of the festivities is Plovdiv, where on this day in 1885, after the entry of the Golyamo Konare detachment into the..

published on 9/6/25 10:45 AM

Three points of views by Bulgarian historians on the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885

In June 1878, after the 10 th Russo-Turkish war in a row, at the Berlin congress, the lands in the Balkans inhabited by Bulgarians were divided up into five. Northern Dobrudja was handed over to Romania. Serbia got the Sanjak of Niš. The lands..

published on 9/6/25 8:05 AM

Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks start of ecclesiastical New Year on September 1

The New Church Year begins on September 1. The month of September is the seventh month of the year according to the Jewish calendar. It is associated with a number of biblical events, which is why it was designated as the beginning of the Church New..

published on 9/1/25 12:19 PM