ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Water blessing of the battle flags to take place across Bulgaria on Epiphany

Photo: BTA

A traditional water blessing of the battle flags and holy flags of the Bulgarian Army will be held on January 6 in all the country's garrisons. The ceremonial ritual in Sofia will take place at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Unknown Warrior Monument in the presence of Defense Minister Todor Tagarev.

For the first time, a water blessing ceremony of the banners was celebrated during the time of Tsar Simeon I before the battle of Acheloi in 917. Until the fall of Bulgaria under the Ottoman rule, a water blessing of the flags was performed before every battle fought by the Bulgarian army. After the Liberation in 1878, the tradition was restored by the first military minister of the Principality of Bulgaria, Piotr Dmitrievich Parensov, and continued until 1946, according to the Ministry of Defense. 

After the collapse of the Communist rule, the ritual was restored in 1993. 

Since then, every year on Epiphany, in all garrisons, the highest representative of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the diocese reads a prayer for health and success, together with the consecration of the battle flags.

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.
Radio Bulgaria News    battle flags Epiphany water blessing

More from category

Danube Bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu opens for heavy vehicles

Nearly 24 hours after it was closed, Danube Bridge linking Ruse and Giurgiu is now open for trucks, regional governor Dragomir Draganov said. At 9 a.m. on November 5, trucks were allowed to pass through the facility. On November 4,..

published on 11/5/25 10:17 AM

Tobacco producers oppose phasing out of EU subsidies in the sector

The National Association of Tobacco Producers - 2010 opposes the proposal for banning public support for tobacco cultivation in the EU. A letter to the Ministry of Agriculture quotes the position of the largest European agricultural..

published on 11/5/25 9:21 AM

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and BSP discuss introduction of religion in schools

In the Synodal Palace, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil met with the parliamentary group of "BSP - United Left". The delegation of the socialists was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of BSP, Atanas Zafirov, the Synod of the..

published on 11/5/25 8:45 AM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 6 | Max: 16
Rain
Min: 11 | Max: 17
Rain
Min: 12 | Max: 16
Rain
Min: 9 | Max: 11
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 11
Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 14
Overcast, rain
Min: 7 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 9 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 9 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 5 | Max: 14
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 10 | Max: 13
Overcast, rain
Min: 6 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 13
Overcast, rain
Min: 10 | Max: 14
Overcast, rain
Min: 7 | Max: 10
Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 13
Overcast, rain
Min: 9 | Max: 12
Cloudy
Min: 10 | Max: 15
Overcast, rain
Min: 6 | Max: 11
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 10 | Max: 15
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 11
Overcast, rain
Min: 9 | Max: 13
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 12
Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 15
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

EC puts forward plan for developing high-speed rail Bucharest-Sofia-Athens

The European Commission has presented a proposal for developing high-speed railway lines within the EU until 2040, linking the capitals in the EU, among..

published on 11/5/25 1:20 PM

Birth rate in Bulgaria has decreased by 33% since 1994

Birth rate in Bulgaria has decreased by 33% over the past three decades. In 1994, 79,442 live births were registered in the country, while in 2024 the..

published on 11/6/25 5:15 PM

European Commission withholds payment under recovery and resilience plan over failure to implement anti-corruption reforms

The European Commission has decided to withhold EUR 215 million from the second payment under Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan, the EC told the..

published on 11/5/25 4:39 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"