Bulgarians Mark Saint John's Day on January 7

Filip Pavlov

The custom of Ivanovi Vlachugi in the village of Karaisen in Pavlikeni Municipality (BTA Photo/Marina Petrova)

Sofia,

07.01.2025 12:32

(BTA)

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LOCAL FOCUS

On January 7, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the day of Saint John the Baptist.

Locally, the day is known as "Ivanovden", as it is the name's day of people with the names Ivan (nearly 130,000 citizens) or Ivanka (nearly 50,000), which are the top two most popular given names in Bulgaria for men and women, respectively. Because of the large number of people celebrating their name's day, St. John's Day is defined jokingly as a national holiday.

In the Bulgarian folklore tradition, the rites and customs of St. John's Day are connected with the purifying power of the Christian holiday consecrated the previous day, Epiphany (Yordanovden). There is a belief that the water still has miraculous power, as it did at Epiphany the day before. While St. John's Day is called Men's Waters, the day after it is called Women's Waters. Early in the morning, women bring fresh water and wash their children and the namesakes, who got married in the winter, also bathe in the water.

In the village of Karaisen in Pavlikeni Municipality (Central Bulgaria), the custom of Ivanovi Vlachugi is traditionally observed on this day, said the municipal press centre on Tuesday. Tradition says on this day the bridegrooms, newlyweds, along with the village maidens and bachelors, bathe for health and prosperity in front of one of the fountains in Karaisen. The name of the custom Ivanovi Vlachugi recreates a scene from the local folklore, where namesakes and young people "pull" each other and do not want to bathe with cold water on this day, but their relatives and friends "drag" them to the fountain. The custom was restored by the group for spring folklore at the Dobra Nadezhda - 1896 community centre and was included in the nominations of the national Living Human Treasures Programme in October 2024.

St. John's Day in Teteven (North Central Bulgaria) is traditionally celebrated with a horse procession that passes through the central streets of the town. More than 50 horses are expected to participate in 2024, Stefan Stefanov, head of the Culture Department at Teteven Municipality, told BTA on Tuesday. "This is one of the oldest cultural events in the municipality and the only one of its kind, because equestrian processions and horse racing in the country are characteristic of Todorovden," he said. He added that according to an old tradition in Teteven, on Ivanovden, all those who bred horses came out at the time when the young boys were sent to the barracks and showed their horse and their latest outfit. They went around the villages and greeted the namesakes," Stefanov noted. He pointed out that this is a tradition of more than 50 years and is organized by residents of Teteven, who are engaged in horse breeding.

St. John's Day is also one of the most revered holidays in the village of Ivanovo in Ruse Municipality (on the Danube). Its residents zealously preserve their old traditions to this day and are proud of the history of their village. There are several versions of its name, the most popular of which is related to the Ivanovo rock churches, which are a UNESCO site, and their founders, Kings Ivan Asen II and Ivan Alexander. Among the rich meals, red wine and folk music, every year the mayor also awards the oldest resident that celebrates his name's day on this day. In 2024, Ruse Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov will join the tradition and present certificates to 76-year-old Ivan Nedkov and 86-year-old Ivanka Hristova. The holiday is also traditionally accompanied by a water festival in Ivanovo.

January 7 is also the name's day of people named Ivo, Iva, Yoan, Yoana, Vanyo, Vanya, Vanessa, Yanko, and Yana, among others.

/DS/