Bulgaria's Patriarch Performs Army Colors Ritual

Society | January 6, 2003, Monday // 00:00

Patriarch Maxim, head of Bulgaria's Orthodox Church, delivered a special ritual for the colors and the elite squads of Bulgarian armed forces in front of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. The religious-military ritual is to bring health and success to the whole nation and was first performed for Bulgaria's warriors in 917 AD. President Parvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, Defense Minister Svinarov, the chief of the General Staff of Bulgarian Armed Forces Gen. Kolev as well as military attaches of NATO member states in Bulgaria attended the ceremony. On January 6th the Bulgarian people celebrate Epiphany or St. Jordan's Day. This festival has different names in the different parts of the country, some of them are Krastovden /Day of the Cross/, Voditzi /Waters/ or Vodokrashti /Waterchristen/. The night before St. Jordan's Day is the last one of the "incensed" nights. Once again there was ritual bread on the table, but this time, in honour of millet, it was not made of pure wheat flour but of mixed wheat and millet flour. According to the popular belief, in the dead of night on Epiphany the skies open and everyone who sees them, will be given by God all that he wishes. According to the folk belief, the twelve days passing by from 25 December to 7 January, are named "dirty", "pagan", "bogey's". During this period various evil forces were believed to be raving about and nobody went out before first cock-crow. Women did not wash, did not weave or spin. People also called these days "unchristian".

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