Bulgarian sport veterans bearing the name Ivan came together Saturday to maker a toast for their Name’s Day. Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia News Agency)
The Orthodox Church in Bulgaria celebrated Saturday the St. John's Day in honour of Saint John the Baptist who baptized Jesus.
Ivanovden is the festival's popular name in Bulgaria, and is being celebrated as the Name's Day of everyone called Ivan.
By old Bulgarian custom at early dawn - before sunrise - young women brought water from a river or a well. In a large caldron, referred to as "chebar", they bathed the children for health. The young couples, who had married in the winter before St. John's Day, were also given a bath in this "chebar".
Then the lads went visiting all the houses and bathing all boys and men named Ivan.