The
Name day of everyone named Yordan, Yordanka
(named after the holy river of Jordan), Yonko, Yonkoa, Daniel,
Daniela, Bozhan, Bozhana, Bozhil, Boyan, Boyana, Bogdan, Bogdana,
Bozhidar and Bozhidara (both meaning "God's gift"), Bogolyub,
Bogolyuba, Boncho, Bonka, Bogomil, Bogomila (meaning "Dear to God"),
Bistra.
One
of the most popular Christianity feasts (Also known as Bogoyavlenie,
Voditsi, Vodokrushti), celebrating the consecration of the holy cross.
Yordanovden/ Epiphany is a popular feast in the traditional Bulgarian
calendar. It is associated with the belief that during the night
before the feast the sky opens up and whoever makes a wish at that
moment it will come true.
According to the eastern orthodox calendar, the Yordanovden -
Epiphany day marks the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in
the water of the Jordan River. At the very
moment of baptism, the
heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended onto Christ in the
form of a dove, hence the name of the feast, Bogoyavlenie (which means
appearance of the Lord). Jesus Christ dipped three times in the waters
of the Jordan River and went out of it to symbolize the mystery of the
death and the resurrection of the man in him: the earthly man, the
descendant of Adam, dies; his sins die, and the inspired man is born
and is resurrected. After his baptism, Christ set out on the road to
suffering as an inspired man for the sake of faith.
The key rituals on Yordanovden - Epiphany day are related to the beliefs
in the healthy power of water. On that day, during the church service,
water is consecrated. After the service, the priest throws the cross
into the river and according to the traditions bachelors swim into the
icy waters to take it out and whoever takes it out is supposed to be
healthy and happy. He should go around the village with the cross in
his hands and everybody should give him gifts. If the cross dropped in
the river freezes that means that the year is going to be very healthy
and fruitful. A number of rituals with consecrated water are performed
on Yordanovden - Epiphany day. Early in the morning a pure girl washes
the home icon; sick people are sprinkled or bathed with water from the
river where the cross was dropped, and then everyone washes their
faces and hands for good health.
A priest throws a cross into the river and then the miracle
begins. The river starts boiling with people. Prettily dressed
residents from 10 to 50 years of age jump into the ice cold waters of
the river and try to catch the cross. The tradition requires that the
youngest of them all should pass the cross to the priest. The
observers shed tears, thrilled by the solemn religious ritual.
Spontaneously part of them wade into the river. There are thousands of
them, happy, smiling, cold but eager to fulfil the undying tradition.
This celebration marks the end of the so-called Dirty days. At Saint
Jordan's eve the Third (the last) Christmas supper is prepared. Only
meatless dishes are put on the table: beans, cooked cabbage or stuffed
cabbage leaves; nuts; bread, which is made of both wheat and millet
flour, n order to honour the millet (in some regions they use maize
flour instead of millet flour). The unburned candle from the Second
Christmas Supper is also put on the table and is lit again.
According to the folk beliefs "the sky opens" on Saint
Jordan's eve. Everyone who sees that will have all his/her wishes come
true. This is why people in the past didn't sleep during that night.
On this day water is sanctified after which the priest
throws the cross in the river (water) and the men take it out. The one
who first reaches the cross and takes it out will be healthy and
happy. It is believed that if the cross freezes the year will be
healthy and fertile. Sick people bathe (or sprinkle water on
themselves) in that spot of the water where the cross has been thrown
so that they will get cured. The rest of the people also wash their
hands and faces to get "good health".
Early in the morning the young girls wash the
home icon and the shroud (of Christ) in the river or in the
well/fountain. This is done in order for the new crops of wheat to be
white. The name of the feast - Men's water day- comes from the
tradition, according to which only young unmarried men and small
children under the age of 1 can tale part. In some places the so
called "haskane" is carried out : 5-6 men go round the houses and wash
the new-born babies and the young unmarried men.
Another custom related to this holiday is Tayany - the evening
before Saint Ivan’s Day when the lasses put flowers around a cauldron,
cover it with a cloth and they decorate it as a bride. They put the
cauldron on the head of a lass and the other girls gather around her,
holding hands. The taller ones stand in the front and the shorter ones
are in the rear. Lined up like that they go around the springs and
sing songs. People give them flour, money and etc. In some regions
they put their rings in the cauldron and by the darkness of the rings
material they can tell which lass will get married first.
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PEACE HAVENS of BULGARIA
