According to the legend Catherine was the daughter of the governor of Alexandria in Egypt during the reign of Emperor Maximian. Catherine was not only a great beauty but had excellent education as well. Her mother was a secret follower of Christianity and introduced the girl to a hermit who converted her to Christianity.

In 305, aged just 18, Catherine was thrown into jail because of her faith. While in prison, she was visited by many, had disputes with them but no one could persuade her to change her views. On the contrary, all of them converted to Christianity.

Catherine was subjected to horrible tortures. She was condemned to death on a spiked breaking wheel. When she touched the wheel it fell apart. She was killed by sword and a God’s Angel took her body away to Mount Sinai where a monastery was built later to commemorate her.

In the traditional Bulgarian culture the saint is called Katerina. The popular feast (marked on the same date as the official church one) is most often linked to the belief that she blesses children, protects them and wards off Granny Measles. This popular feast is marked in Southern Bulgaria. Prominent Bulgarian ethnographer Dimitar Marinov found out it was celebrated in a few villages close to the City of Plovdiv and in the southern Rhodope Mountains. According to his notes it was also popular among Pomaks (the Bulgarian Mohammedans).

What was the traditional agenda on 24 November? Early in the morning mothers who had young children went out to get water and used it to knead dough. The woman who made the dough set aside a small part of it and shaped it like a roll (patorche). The roll was baked and either honey or pumpkin jam was spread over. Then it was put somewhere high – on the roof or at the door’s top. It was left there until it was forgotten. The roll was a gift to Granny Measles – she was known to love sweets.

From the rest of the dough a round loaf was made, also spread over with honey or some kind of jam. The loaf was still hot when everyone in the household had to break a piece from it with the words: Let St. Catherine help us! Some bread was given to dogs to ward off rabies. After that the round loaf was left outside, and pieces were given to passersby. It was believed that Granny Measles would never enter a house where such a loaf had been made.

By the way, such loaves are also made on 9 March, when the traditional Mladentsi feast is marked. Spread over with honey they were given out for the sake of health to the same mythical Granny.

In the region of Strandzha Mountains in Southeastern Bulgaria, St. Catherine (Katerina) was venerated for her power to protect households and crops from mice. Women plastered with clay the hearth with eyes closed – a symbolic gesture to slur symbolically the eyes of the harmful rodents. Again with eyes closed boiled corn was given out – to shut the mouths of rodents. On this day women’s work is banned – cutting with scissors, sewing with a needle etc. In the Rhodope Mountains it was accepted that St. Katerina provided protection from fever and high temperatures. In that region housewives should not touch sharp objects on this day, because cuts won’t heal fast.

November 24, St. Catherine’s Day, is the name day of everybody with this name or its derivatives. The feast falls on the Christmas fast. The church though allows wine consumption and unction.

English Daniela Konstantinova