There are a lot of rituals that mark St. George's day or Gergiovden. Celebrating the bravery of Saint George the Victorious May 6 has been pronounced Day of the Bulgarian army. Saint George the Victorious (Pobedonosets), canonized by the Church because of his brave deeds, is usually painted on icons as riding a white horse with his lance stabbed in the throat of a beast - the dragon. Legend has it that the dragon used to attack the shepherds and their sheep and steal a sheep or a lamb. The shepherds were desperate. Then St. George appeared and killed the dragon. Since that day, the shepherds celebrate St. George every year and slaughter of a lamb as a sacrifice for the saint. In every house of a village, a lamb is slaughtered. Before that some flowers are put on the lamb's horns and even a prayer is read. All village gates are covered with flowers. Early in the morning, people go to the river to wash themselves. In the past this has been the only day in the year when people checked their weight. There has also been a tradition that people go to a swing ("lyulka") on that day so that they are healthy.

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