Today, Bulgarians celebrate Petkovden – the day dedicated to St. Paraskeva of Epivat, also known among the people as St. Petka of Bulgaria. The Orthodox Church honors her memory as that of a revered protector of faith, home, and family.

Those bearing the names Paraskeva, Petko, Pencho, Petkan, Penyo, Penko, Petkana, and Keva mark their name day today, welcoming family and guests in the traditional Bulgarian way – with rich festive meals and heartfelt hospitality.

Petkovden, often called “Winter Petkovden,” is considered by folklore to signal the beginning of the cold season and the transition into winter. The day is closely tied to family traditions and rural customs. It marks the end of the farming year, the last autumn sowing and the completion of the harvest. Villagers used to say, “On Petkovden, may your plow rest under the eaves,” meaning that all work in the fields should be finished by this day.

Saint Petka is deeply venerated as the guardian of the household, family, and fertility, a symbol of life and renewal. Folk belief also connects the holiday to the beginning of engagements and weddings, as the saint is seen as a patroness of marriage and birth, blessing both people and animals with fertility and health.

On this day, families prepare special meals and perform ritual offerings. Traditional dishes such as mutton stew, kurban chorba (a sacrificial soup), stuffed vine leaves (sarmi), tripe, and meals with leeks are arranged on the festive table. These meals are not only culinary traditions but acts of gratitude for the harvest and blessings received throughout the year.

Saint Paraskeva, known in Bulgarian tradition as Petka Epivatska, lived in the 10th–11th centuries and was born in the town of Epivat in Thrace to Bulgarian parents. Her virtuous life and miracles after death were described by St. Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo.

Her relics were brought to Bulgaria in 1238 and placed in the church “St. Petka Tarnovska” in Veliko Tarnovo, where they remained until the Ottoman conquest. After centuries of movement across different lands, in 1641 her relics found their permanent home in the cathedral of Iași, in present-day Romania. To this day, they draw thousands of pilgrims from around the world, who come to seek her blessing and give thanks.

Petkovden thus remains one of Bulgaria’s most cherished spiritual and folk holidays, a day that blends faith, tradition, and gratitude, uniting generations around the table with warmth and celebration.