site.btaEnyovden: Christian Feast Mixed with Pagan Magic

Christian and pagan rites and traditions coexist peacefully on June 24.

On this day, Eastern Orthodox Christians observe the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, considered to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Significantly, according to the gospels the birth of both involved miracles.

The date, also called Midsummer, has been important in the folk calendar since pagan times.

In Bulgaria, the day is called Enyovden and is associated with the healing power of the sun, water and plants.

On Enyovden, the Sun is believed to bathe in water and lend it life-giving force. Then the Sun sheds dew, which has a special magical power. That is why everyone should wash before sunrise in running water or roll in dew so as to stay healthy. The sea, too, stops moving on this day, so a dip into its water would work, too. As it comes on the astronomical summer solstice, the folk belief is that this is the last day on which the Sun has its free way before gradually waning in anticipation of the winter. Exactly at sunrise, everybody is supposed to face the sun and look at their shadow over their shoulder. If the entire shadow can be seen, it is a sign of good health throughout the year, and if only half of the shadow is there, illness will ensue.

Europewide, bonfires are lit on this day as part of the solar cult. The idea of the fires is to ward off witches and dragons as evil spirits are believed to roam freely on June 24.

In Bulgaria, herbalists and healers celebrate Enyovden as their special day. Herbs, including lady’s bedstraw (known locally as enyovche), sweet clover, wild primula and lemon balm, acquire an unusual healing potency and retain it if picked at sunrise on June 24. Tradition requires picking 77 and a half herbs: 77 for 77 diseases and half a herb for a “nameless” disease, known only to select healers. The bunch of herbs is then dipped in a vessel of water filled from a pure water spring at sunset in complete silence, lest human voice deprive the water of its magical power. People are then sprinkled with this "hushed" water in a rite that is supposed to make wishes come true and ensure health and prosperity. The herbs picked on Enyovden are used for healing and magical purposes throughout the year.