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

Orthodox Christians venerate St. Anna - Mother of the Theotokos 

Photo: Archive

On December 9th we celebrate St. Anna - the mother of the Virgin Mary. Joachim and Anna had been childless for many years and prayed to God to grant them a baby. One day an angel of the Lord appeared to Anna and told her that she would give birth to a daughter, Mary, for the salvation of the world. Grateful for the news, she promised to dedicate the child to God. True to her word, she and her husband took the three-year-old girl to the temple. 

St Anna is the patron saint of marriage, family, motherhood and women. 

The Orthodox Church also honours St. Anna in the summer, on 25 July, when the day of her succession is celebrated. Today's day is known in popular tradition as St. Anne's Winter or St. Anne's Conception. Traditionally, the meal is fasted, as the feast falls during Christmas Lent. 
In Hebrew, the name Anna means grace, mercy, favour. Name Day on 9 December celebrates all those who bear the name Anna, Anka, etc.



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

Partiarch Daniil celebrates St Athanasius the Great in the temple of the saint in Gorni Lozen

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..

published on 1/17/25 5:34 PM

The Feast of St. Athanasius – between Christianity, rituals and beliefs

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..

published on 1/18/25 6:05 AM

A new temple near Sandanski bears the names of Saints Anthony and Athanasius the Great

The only chapel in the country to bear the names of Saints Anthony and Atha nasius is in Sandanski, and its consecration will be performed by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, reports Andon Kotev - one of the initiators of the idea to..

published on 1/17/25 7:00 AM