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

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

Photo: Bulgarian Patriarchate

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 Year, the Bulgarian Patriarchate specifies on its website. In this month, all the tribes of the people of Israel from everywhere flocked to Jerusalem for the holiday, fulfilling the Lord's commandment: "the seventh month shall be your Sabbath of Sabbaths, and you shall humble your souls before the Lord."


The New Year holiday was established by the holy fathers at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, convened by Emperor Constantine the Great.

On the same day, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church also honors St. Simeon the Pillar, who spent his life in a narrow cell erected on a stone pillar. Our people perceive the saint as the patron saint of agriculture. Therefore, in Bulgaria, St. Simeon's Day is considered the beginning of the agricultural year, when autumn plowing and sowing begins and a large part of the production is collected.

Bulgarians call this day "Simeon the Ploughman", "Simeon the Sickle", "Simeon the Broiler", "Summer Walker". 

In the folk tradition, on September 1, women knead cakes with which they feed the oxen and buffaloes, as well as small loaves that are strung on the horns of the cattle. The men who plow and sow are dressed festively, and the women walk around them and sprinkle embers from the hearth in which the bread is baked.



Edited by Darina Grigorova
English version: R. Petkova



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

All Souls Day is an expression of our love for the souls of the departed

In today’s world, where material values overshadow the spiritual, reflections on the salvation of souls somehow remain in the background. The constant race against time and the stream of daily tasks muffle the voice of the soul, which struggles to..

published on 11/1/25 5:10 AM

Tsars Peter and Asen restored the Bulgarian state 840 years ago

In 1018, after half a century of struggle, the First Bulgarian Empire was conquered by Byzantium. Despite the many uprisings of the Bulgarians, the power of Constantinople lasted for nearly two centuries. In the autumn of 1185 or the..

published on 10/26/25 5:05 AM

St John of Rila – the Miracle-Worker of the Rila Wilderness

On 19 October, Bulgarians commemorate St Ivan Rilski, also known as St John of Rila, who is considered the country’s heavenly protector. He founded the Rila Monastery, which is the largest and most influential spiritual centre in Bulgaria. Ivan..

published on 10/19/25 7:30 AM