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

Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the beheading of St. John the Forerunner

Photo: archive

On August 29, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates the death of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist - on this day the saint was beheaded. For the Church of Christ, Saint John the Forerunner is the greatest among the prophets, and therefore his memory is honored six times a year. On September 23 the church celebrates the Feast of the Conception of the St. John the Baptist, on June 24 it marks the Nativity of John the Baptist, on August 29 - his beheading. On September the church celebrates the Feast Day of the Synaxis of John the Baptist. On February 24 it marks the first and second finding of the honorable head of Saint John the Forerunner. May 25 marks the third finding of the honorable head of Saint John.

On this day, the Church has designated a strict fast, without oil, as a sign of solidarity with the martyrdom of the saint. On this day, as a sign of sympathy for the sufferings of the saint, by analogy with his spilled blood, fruits and vegetables with a red color - watermelons, apples, tomatoes - are not eaten. People should not drink red wine, either.

In the folk calendar, the day is called Seknovenie because of the belief that on this day summer is "cut", day and night are "cut" - they become equal in duration. The water and the weather are starting to get colder. 




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 baptism of Tsar Boris I (painter Nikolai Pavlovich)

Celebrations of the 1160th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Bulgaria

This year, 2025, marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature. On this occasion, the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis..

published on 5/1/25 7:05 AM
Monument to Pavel Bobekov in the centre of Panagyurishte

Pavel Bobekov and the grammar of the April Uprising

Bulgaria celebrates 149 years since the April Uprising – an event that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after almost five centuries of Ottoman rule. Today, nearly a century and a half later, we must not forget that every participant in the April..

published on 5/1/25 6:25 AM

Religious education in schools is not indoctrination, says Patriarch Daniil

The introduction of the subject "Virtues and Religions" in schools is not aimed at indoctrinating children, but at informing and educating them. Faith is something personal, Patriarch Daniil said in an interview for public service TV BNT. “Faith is..

published on 4/30/25 10:11 AM