Ivanovden and St. John's Day: Celebrated by Nearly 330,000 Bulgarians
On January 7, nearly 330,000 Bulgarians celebrate St. John's Day or Ivanovden, marking the feast day of St. John the Baptist
Bulgarians Celebrate St. John the Baptist's Day
Society | January 7, 2011, Friday // 08:07
- Tweet
Send to Kindle
The Day of St. John the Baptist is known as Ivanovden in Bulgaria.
For Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, January 7 is the day for honoring St. John the Baptist who baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.
Some 300 000 Bulgarians with the second most popular Bulgarian name - "Ivan" - are celebrating Friday their name day, together with Ivanka, Ivana, Ivaylo, Ivelina, Yoan, Yoana, Kaloyan, Vanyo, Vana, among others.
On Ivanovden, according to past Bulgarian customs, at early dawn 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".
Related Articles:
Celebrating Ivan Milev: A Painter Honored on Bulgaria's 5 Leva Banknote
Ivan Milev Lalev was a Bulgarian painter and scenographer regarded as the founder of the Bulgarian Secession and a representative of Bulgarian modernism, combining symbolism
Ivanovden: Bulgaria Reveres Saint John in a Jubilant Celebration
In a jubilant commemoration, Bulgarians across the nation honor Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist, marking the revered day of Ivanovden, following the Epiphany
A 27-year-old Bulgarian with British citizenship desecrated the Coliseum (VIDEO)
Italian police have identified a man who scribbled the name "Ivan" in Latin letters on the wall of the Colosseum in Rome
Society | June 30, 2023, Friday // 09:17
It is Saint John's Day or Ivanovden, a Name Day for over 347 Thousand Bulgarians
Today, after Epiphany, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of St. Prophet John the Forerunner and Baptist
Society | January 7, 2023, Saturday // 10:20
Bulgaria: Ivan Geshev remains Prosecutor General with only 2 Votes "In Favor" of his Removal
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) refused to prematurely terminate the mandate of the Prosecutor General. Only two of the members of the Supreme Court - Atanaska Disheva and Olga Kerelska - were "in favor" of the removal of Ivan Geshev, all the other 16
Politics | July 8, 2022, Friday // 09:41
Bulgarian Scientists Confirm First Retrograde Exoplanet in Close Binary Star System
Dr. Trifon Trifonov, head of the Bulgarian exoplanet research group within the “EXO-RESTART” project at Sofia University’s Department of Astronomy, is a key contributor to a groundbreaking stud
Society | May 22, 2025, Thursday // 14:56
Bulgarian Nurses Demand Pay Rise, Warn of Nationwide Protests
The Union of Bulgarian Medical Specialists has declared its readiness to initiate protest actions
May 22 Forecast: Sunshine Turns Stormy Over Much of Bulgaria
Bulgaria will see a mix of sun and instability on May 22
Bulgarian Students Raised Funds for Victims of Kocani Tragedy
Students from the "Tsar Simeon the Great" school in the village of Ivanyane, near Sofia, extended a heartfelt gesture by raising funds to help five young people seriously injured in the recent tragedy in Kocani, North Macedonia
Society | May 21, 2025, Wednesday // 13:01
Sofia: Migrants Detained After Police Chase Ends in Crash on Tsarigradsko Shose
Bulgarian police apprehended a group of migrants on Sofia’s "Tsarigradsko Shose" Blvd. following a high-speed chase that ended in a crash
Orthodox Church Celebrates Saints Constantine and Helena: A Day of Spiritual Reflection Across Bulgaria
On May 21, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the feast day of St.St. Constantine and Helena - an event with deep religious and cultural significance
