The Orthodox Church in Bulgaria honours on January 7 Saint John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus.

Widely known as Ivanovden, the day is the festival of the most popular name in Bulgaria - Ivan. According to official data the number of the Bulgarians, named Ivan, is no fewer than 204 855.

To mark the day Rakursi gallery in the capital Sofia brought together four prominent Ivans - the painters Ivan Vukadinov, Ivan Kirkov and Ivan Stoilov and former Prime Minister Ivan Kostov.

The exhibition, which is organized for the second year in a row, was, of course, called "Ivanovden -II".

In the past it was the Bulgarian custom that 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.

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