Contact us Български  History of Asenovgrad  Asen's Fortress  Natural landmarks and sightseeings  Religious Targets  Houses and Museums  Traditions and Holidays  Important events  Photogallery   Traditions and Holidays    Calendar holidays in Asenovgrad are mostly Christian, but with some pagan motives. The Christian religion gave the name of the holidays, while the pre-Christian traditions gave them the matter of celebration. Also, the religious holidays of Stanimaka involve the whole economical activity of the population. The location of the town has its mark on the formation of the local traditions. Here begins one of the passes towards the White Sea area. From here begin some important roads to the south, which connect the town with the settlements beyond the mountains. The contact of the local population with that of other ends of the Thracia region were part of their daily round. The Bulgarian and Greek people who lived here formed one cultural community. They gradually created one local and original spiritual culture, which nowadays distinguishes the town from the other settlements in the region. Asenovgrad is distinguished with its specially developed Christian tradition. The cult of Virgin Mary is revealed in customs devoted to her. They originated here and can not be seen anywhere else. After the First World War, the influence of European culture is great, which naturally reflects on the festive-customary system. Certain novelties are added to already existing traditions, and most of them are saved till nowadays. Today's traditions, custom, holidays and beliefs have reached us although some of them were slightly adapted, in one way or another, to the conditions of our present state of living. The basic motive, plan and concept have been preserved and enriched throughout the years. Holidays dedicated to St.Virgin Mary The Annunciation - 25th March On this day the Angel sends Virgin Mary the holy announcement that she would bear the son, who would save the world. From there comes the name of the holiday - the Annunciation. This holiday has a special place in the calendar since everything connected with St. Virgin Mary's life is highly respected by the people of Asenovgrad. There is a big church in the town devoted to this moment of her life, i.e. "St. Virgin Mary - The Annunciation" Church. Worshippers from the whole district gather here, because there is no such church elsewhere in the town. Women who want to have children sleep here during the night. They bring many gifts for the icon. In the morning there is a service, for which believers carry the so-called "petohlebie" - five little loafs of bread with a seal from the Communion Bread above them. They put them one over the other, and on the loaf at the top a burning taper is fixed. This "petohlebie", after being blessed by the priest, is given to everyone attending the service so that St. Virgin Mary could help the woman who is a gift-bearer. This is a gift through which the woman in need receives the blessing of God's Mother that will help her get a child. The Annunciation holiday falls into the period of Long Lent, but on this day we are allowed to eat fish. A "fish-pie" is made - a carp filled with nuts, covered with onions, and baked in an oven. According to the Christian religion, the fish is a sign of Christ and in the popular beliefs it is a symbol of fertility. The day of the Annunciation is considered also as the time, when the spring season has already begun. Top St. Virgin Mary with the Golden Apple This is a holiday in honor of St. Virgin Mary, always celebrated on the 5th Sunday of the Lord Lent. On Friday evening the last Virgin Mary's Akatist is read in the churches and on the next day comes this holiday. It has to do with the faith in Virgin Mary as a patroness of maternity and the family, and in a way it is a continuation of the Annunciation. It is celebrated especially by women, who could not bear a child for a long time. They bring a loaf in the church, on which the priest reads a special prayer about St. Virgin Mary, and then the loaf is divided among all people attending the service. Outside the church, in the yard a stew of beans and pilav is cooked. Women put flowers on the icon of St.Virgin Mary. This icon is specially decorated with a garland of apples, which the priest gives to those women who want to become pregnant. They have to eat the whole apple. This is connected with the belief that a woman once brought Virgin Mary an apple as a gift and deeply begged her to send her a child. Then Virgin Mary appeared to the woman, when she was sleeping and gave her an apple which was golden. This religious holiday is very popular in Asenovgrad,. It is a typical local holiday dedicated to St. Virgin Mary and it can not be seen in other ethnographical regions. It is celebrated mostly in "St. Virgin Mary - The Assumption" Church in Gorno Voden. Assumption of St. Virgin Mary (also known as "Goliama Bogoroditsa") - 15th August This holiday is one of the most significant holidays for the town and region. St. Virgin Mary is considered to be not only a protectress of maternity, but also a patroness of the whole region. For the holiday in Asenovgrad, most of the people gather in "St. Virgin Mary - The Assumption" Church, also called the "deep church" because of the fact that it is slightly dug into the ground. After the divine service boiled muttons are given here to the people. Most of the worshippers, however, go to the Monastery of Bachkovo, whose cathedral is also named "St. Virgin Mary - The Assumption". Since Virgin Mary is the protectress of children and the one who gives the woman her child, the holiday is preceded by fasting, known as Virgin Mary's Shrovetide and lasting during the previous 15days. Women, who have observed this fast, can receive communion. On the holiday itself, there is a strict prohibition not to do any hard work either in the fields or at home. To strengthen the influence of St. Virgin Mary, women go to the Monastery of Bachkovo and spend there 2-3 days before the holiday. Worshippers from all over the country come here and those who have promised boiled muttons to the saint carry with them a lamb or sheep to be blessed by the priest as a gift. Those who can not bring a ritual animal but still want to make a gift can pay for one of the animals in the monastery. It will then be blessed by the priest for the gift-bearer's health. Except for the ritual animals for the preparation of boiled mutton, worshippers can offer other gifts as well; and some money too. They are put in front of the icon of St. Virgin Mary, which is considered miraculous or wonder-working. People's belief in the power of saint that gives women their children and then watches over their life is most strongly revealed on this day. Also, in the other parts of the country women whose name is Maria celebrate their name-day on this holiday. In Asenovgrad, however, most of the women with that name celebrate not on the day of "Goliama Bogoroditsa" but on the second day of Christmas. This is because of the local understanding of the holiday as the death of Virgin Mary, which gives no proper reason for a name-day celebration. For the local people, this religious holiday is simply an expression of respect, admiration and gratitude towards the saint for all the benevolence, which she gives them. On the day of her assumption St. Virgin Mary is respected as one who gives life. According to the belief, she doesn't actually die; she only goes to another world, in the heavenly space. And heaven is thought to give life because the sun and the rain are in heaven. They all symbolize fertility and new beginning. The holiday of the Assumption presents the millenary ideas of the local people, in which death and life are seen as an endless process. The Birth of St. Most Holy Virgin Mary (also known as "Malka Bogoroditsa" - 8th September This holiday is again dedicated to St. Virgin Mary. People pray for the protection of children and the family, for women to get pregnant. On this day grain wheat is boiled and it is brought first to the church for service and blessing by the priest, and then given to people for health. This ritual is done in order to show respect to the saint and to ensure her blessing for the new crop. Together with the service in all churches in town, carrying the name of the Holy Virgin, divine service is carried out in "St. Virgin Mary's Birth" Chapel, also called "Faneroumeni". It is situated on one of the hills above the Metoh quarter. This chapel is part from the sacral system that encircles the reinforces this holy protection. Since the holiday is dedicated to the birth of St. Virgin Mary, her parents - St. Ana and St. Ioakim - are also respected on this day. Fair of St. Most Holy Virgin Mary, the second day of Christmas - 26th December This holiday is a natural continuation of Christmas, but it is at the same time part of the cycle of holidays dedicated to St. Virgin Mary. This is because both the begetting and the birth of God's son has happened in an wonderful way. A service is made in church, which glorifies God's Holy Mother. It is the day on which women in Asenovgrad celebrate their name-day. Top Other Holidays in Asenovgrad Iordanovden - 6th January This holiday is celebrated very festively in the town, because the cross is thrown in the river to "clear" the waters. The service starts very early in the churches. At a certain time the priest from all the churches, together with the worshippers gathered there, go to the appointed place on the river to do the "Christening" ritual. The priest is in the lead of the procession and after him are carried the icons and the gonfalons, and some burning tapers in hands, comes on the two banks of the river and on the bridge. The cross that is thrown into the water has to be of wood and not of metal in order not to sink at once. Men throw themselves into the river to take out the cross, and the one, who catches it first, raises it high in his hands so that everybody could see it. The man who has taken out the cross is held in high regard throughout the year. The icon brought from the churches are washed in the river. The water sanctified on this day is called "epiphany" water and is kept under the throne in the altar of each church in order to be given at the time of communion during the Long Lent. All people attending at the ritual on the river wash themselves and drink from the sanctified water for health. Women can also bring the icons from their homes and wash them for health in the sanctified place at the river. This day is marked with the christening of Jesus Christ by Joan the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. This holiday is celebrated by everyone who carries the name Iordan, Iordanka, Fanka and others. St. Triffon Zarezan - 1st February This is one of the biggest holidays in the town, which is connected with the tradition of vine-growing and wine-producing. It marks the beginning of the cultivation of vineyards during the spring season. The greatest number of people gathers at "St. Triffon" Chapel situated above the district of Ambelino. One can see the so-called wrestler fights there. The winner takes a ram whose horns are covered with toil. The fights are accompanied by drum-beating. Sometimes the holiday may continue during the night. The chief ritual moment is the pruning of the vine-yards, through which the vital saps of the vine are activated. On the one hand, this is a purely economic practice, but, on the other hand, it means activating the vital energy of nature itself. The vine symbolizes the Tree of life and the wine (the product of vine) is used to water its roots in order to bring about strength, life and immortality. The holiday of St. Triffon Zarezan incorporates many beliefs revealed in the main ritual moments, which come to us from antiquity. For example, there is something in the ritual left from the cult to God Dionis. The holiday marks the transition from the end of winter to the beginning of spring. Top St. Konstantin and St. Helena - 21st May There is a chapel in the town dedicated to the two saints. It was built in 1821. According to a local belief, St. Konastantin and St. Helena help to give back speech of children, of those who starnmer and who can not talk at all. To receive the help of the saints, children are taken to the chapel, where the women serving there make a number of ritual actions. The sanctified water, which children drink from, is prepared by the pries. A special key is put in it, with which the speech is "unlocked". This key always hangs next to the icon of the two saints, placed on the right of the altar. For the water to be prepared, the key has to stay in it for one whole day. The vessel with the sanctified water always stays next to the icon. When the child comes to the chapel, he/she has to unlock the door himself/herself, and if he/she is too young, his/her parents help him/her. The key has to be turned to the right. The woman that carries out the "unlocking" ritual takes the key and drops it into the sanctified water. Then she puts it in the child's mouth and turns it to the right, thus irnitating the unlocking of the door. Then the child must drink from the water, to wash his/her face and to splash some water on his/her head. The child must drink all the water poured to him/her in a glass. It should not be returned to the vessel, from which it was taken. This ritual can be carried out in other time of the year as well, i.e. it does not have to be performed exactly on the holiday. It is also believed that these two saints can "unlock" the luck of young people and help them become married. Otherwise the holiday itself passes with a service and a common dinner for which all believers, and especially those who have received healing, bring their gifts. The Birth of St. Joan the Baptist, St. Iani. (Kalinitsa) - 24th June This holiday marks the beginning of the summer season, and it is connected with one of the most significant saints in the Christian calendar, St. Joan the Precursor. It is considered that on this day, also called Ianevden the sun is on its point. It is also thought that the herbs at that time are very strong and curative. Therefore, people start picking them up for remedies before sunrise. The local beliefs about Eniovden find their best expression in the custom known as "Kalinitsa". The name of the custom is a Greek word, which means "a beauty", "a beautiful bride", because the chief ritual is a young girl dressed like a bride. Several days before the holiday, every neighborhood chooses its own "Kalinitsa", so on the very holiday the town is filled with the bright groups of children, who walk around from one neighborhood to another. The girl who is chosen for "Kalinitsa" has to be three years old, and she is a "Kalinitsa" for three years only, after which another girl is chosen. In the eve of the holiday, a group of older girls arrive at the girl's house and bring special 'signs' with them, such as a ring, a button, a pin, etc., and put them in a small copper with "Silent water" (i.e. water poured out in silence). Then they cover it with a white cloth and leave it under a green tree or a rose in the garden in order to "sleep in the night" under the stars. On the next morning is Ianevden. The girls go to the "Kalinitsa"'s home to attend to her dressing up. She puts on a white dress, whit a long white veil on her head, fastened with a garland of flowers. On both her sides little girls stand and all the time they lead her walking arm in arm and performing the role of "bridemaids". Around and behind them, the other girls stand in lines, of 6 or 7 in each line. The girl behind the "Kalinitsa", in the second line, holds an open umbrella to shade her from the sun. All the girls from the group are dressed in white festive dresses, with garlands of flowers on their head and with spread paper fans. The group is led by an older girl, who has already been a "Kalinitsa". All the time she moves backwards and gives a tone for singing. On both sides of the group there is a boy, a brother to some of the children or from the neighborhood, who performs the role of a protector. These boys carry weapons made of paper in their hands. Moreover, they carry all the things the girls will need for the day, which they will spend outside their homes. In this order, the girls and the "Kalinitsa" go around the neighborhood and sing a song dedicated to her:    See our Kalinitsa, how beautiful she is,    She will be more beautiful, let she be alive! After visiting the whole neighborhood, the children go to another one. And if two groups of "Kalinitsa" meet on their way, they hide them behind the umbrellas in order not to see one another. On the tour, they go to "St. Joan" Chapel to get the blessing of the priest. At noon the groups of "Kalinitsi" go outside the town. All mothers, and especially those of the "Kalinitsi", prepare various delicacies to treat them. On the third year, the "Kalinitsa"'s mother makes a hotch-potch for them. With it the end of the "Kalinitsa" period is marked. After having lunch and resting for a while, the girls join in a ring dance and sing: "Come, Kalinitsa, to dance…" Late in the afternoon, the group of the "Kalinitsa" goes to her house and sings on its way. The mother opens the door, invites them to come in, and in the yard the small copper with the 'signs' and the prediction of the future begins. The "Kalinitsa" takes out the 'signs' one by one and say: "The one who will be rich, let her 'sign' come out". In such a way the "Kalinitsa" 'predict' the future of each girl. After that the water is poured out on the same tree where it "slept during the night". The hosts send their guests off, wishing each other to be in good health so that they could celebrate the "Kalinitsa" day again next year. This custom is actually a wedding ceremony - the wedding ceremony of the Sun. For it is the time of its highest point. This day is considered crucial for the season because the sun has turned and brought a fateful change for the two characters- Kalinitsa and Ianio, i.e. the time of their wedding has come. As the local legend goes, the image of the "Kalinitsa" girl is closely connected with that of the little Virgin Mary from the holy icon of the chapel "Presentation of the Blessed Virgin". On this icon Virgin Mary is shown almost in the same way - she is surrounded by her parents and friends who held burning tapers in their hands. The icon presents an important moment of St. Virgin Mary's life, the time when she enters the temple for the first time. In people's own ideas, the image of the "Kalinitsa"girl is always merged with that of the Blessed Virgin. Furthermore, the Eniovden holiday and the "Kalinitsa" custom, performed on it, mark the beginning of the summer season. In other words, the second half of the year has begun and the "marriage" of the two life sources has come - the Sun marries the Earth. Top   Change USD    1.544280 CHF    1.271670 EUR    1.955830 Weather   Copyright © 2004-2005 Asenovgrad.info