The Orthodox Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The holiday celebrates the miraculous finding of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. It is one of the 12 major Christian holidays of the year.
When the cross was discovered, it revived a dead boy, and since then Christians believe that if they seek God's mercy on this day, they will be cured of any disease. Folk custom connects the day with the beginning of autumn when the grape harvest begins. In the Rhodopes, thousands of believers gather with a prayer for healing in the area "Krastova gora" (Forest of the Cross) near Asenovgrad the night before the holiday.
For Bulgarians, Krastovden is also connected with the beginning of the last stage of the Ilinden - Preobrazhenie Uprising, when in 1903 the rebellion against the Ottoman rule covered the region of Pirin Macedonia and Serres.
The Bulgarian Archaeological Society 'Ivan Venedikov' issued a statement addressed to Patriarch Daniil, in response to his recent public call to end the centuries-old tradition of fire dancing, known as Nestinarstvo. "Mr. Patriarch, do not touch..
Every tree has roots. The bigger the tree, the deeper its roots. We are all united here in Southeast Europe. It is our saints that unite us, not divide us. This was stated in an interview with Radio Bulgaria by Prof. Konstantinos Nichoritis. A graduate..
Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven has spoken out against the nestinari (fire dancers), prohibiting them from using icons during their rituals. This announcement was made on the Sliven Metropolis's official website and Facebook page. In his statement,..
Though known mostly as one of the closest associates of Vasil Levski and a dedicated fighter for national liberation, there was actually much more to..
Partly Cloudy
Clear