Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarians associate Day of St. Anthony with protection from diseases

Photo: library

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of St. Anthony the Great, one of the first Christian hermits and founder of monasticism. He was born in Egypt in the year 251 and lived for 105 years. After a long spiritual struggle he achieved holiness and received the gift of healing from God.

Bulgarians call the day Antonovden. More than 80,000 people with the names of Anton, Antonia, as well as those named Andon, Donika, Doncho, Donka, Dona, Toncho, Tonka, Tonko, Tonya, Tony celebrate today.

In the folk calendar, Antonovden is associated with rituals performed for protection against diseases. According to legends, St. Anthony and St. Athanasius were brothers, who invented the blacksmith tongs. Therefore, the Day of St. Athanasius follows Antonovden and all blacksmiths and ironworkers celebrate.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The St. Nicholas church in Veliko Tarnovo

St. Nicholas church in Veliko Tarnovo finally given monument of culture status

It has taken the Ministry of Culture almost a year and a half to declare the St. Nicholas church in Veliko Tarnovo, built by Kolyo Ficheto, a monument of national significance, BNR’s correspondent in Veliko Tarnovo Zdravka Maslyankova reports...

published on 3/29/24 7:11 PM

Exhibition highlights Bulgaria's 20 years in NATO

An exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's NATO membership will open on 28 March at the National Museum of Military History in Sofia. The exhibition is entitled "The Bulgarian Army - 20 years of being part of NATO" and includes original..

published on 3/28/24 8:10 AM

In Bulgaria 26 March is Thrace Day

26 March is Thrace Day – the date was included in the official Bulgarian calendar in 2006, but has been celebrated long before that. On this day in 1913 the Bulgarian army conquered the Edirne fortress, until then deemed “impregnable”. The defeat..

updated on 3/26/24 2:03 PM