The Bulgarian proverb has it that St. George (or Georgi in Bulgarian) brings the summer around, and St. Dimitrius (Dimitar in Bulgarian) – the winter. It mirrors an olden twin-division of the year into two seasons only, covering the agricultural cycle – the summer with the active work in the fields, and winter-time, given to less effort. Owing to their similar roles in switching from season to season, the two saints were believed to be twin-brothers. St. George is a horseman, similar to Saint Dimitrius who is portrayed in icons riding a red horse. But although they are twins the two differ in age. Eternally young Saint George is associated with greenness and fertility. Unlike him St. Dimitrius is an old man, who sprinkles snow from his beard. In folk beliefs, winter is always the symbol of old age. Winter is compared to the yonder world, as it is a dead period, when nature hibernates. This is how Christian saints and their portrayal are penetrated by archaic beliefs and images.

In the folk tradition, St. Dimitrius opens the sky up. That is why on the day preceding St. Dimitrius day the Bulgarians pay homage to their deceased relatives during Dimitrius All Souls’ Day. And this promotes fertility, in turn. On St. Dimitrius Day farmers watch their livestock very intently, to discover signs and prophecies – whether the winter will be rich in snow and cold, and whether the future harvest will be prolific. A proverb goes, Thick Snow – Thick Slice of Bread.

St. Dimitrius loaded three boats with grain to sell it. But on his way along the white Danube, a storm rocked the three boats. Then St. Dimitrius prayed to God to stop the wind and help him, as the aim of his journey was to gather gold coins. And he needed the cash to build three churches-monasteries. In the first church he would wed, in the second – pardon young women and brave man, and in the third – christen children and make them true Christians. When God heard the pledge, He appeased the wind, and the river. St. Dimitrius fulfilled his mission.

And this song is a poetic merger of two cultural layers, namely, the archaic incantation symbolized by grain and the live-giving river waters, and by the blessing for more weddings and more babies born. On the other hand, we find here the concept of God's will and blessing, symbolized by the churches that St. Dimitrius intends to build.
The “brother” St. George is at the heart of a similar story. Apart from brothers, St. Dimitrius has counterparts in folk believes. Just like him two other winter saints, St. Nicholas and St. Atanasius sprinkle snow from their long beards. Other folk versions hold that St. Dimitrius and St. Atanasius pour snow from huge sacks. And still another version declares that snow consists of pieces of God’s white shirt. And besides the first snowflakes were believed to be particularly beneficial, and healthy.

English version: Polya Bozhkova