Katerininden

(Saint Catherine’s Day) - November 24

   In the region of Eastern Thracia this day is celebrated as The Mouse day (Mishinden), and in the Plovdiv region there is a ritual that symbolizes protection from measles: early in the morning the woman in the house prepares a dough, cuts a little piece of it and makes a small bun out of it. When she has baked it, she spreads some honey or treacle on it and then hangs it over the door. From the rest of the dough she bakes a loaf of bread, on which they also spread some honey. They wrap the bread in a white cloth and each member of the family takes a small bit of it saying: "May Saint Katerina help us". Then they give pieces from the rest of the bread to the passers-by. It is believed that in houses where such bread has been prepared no one will get measles.

   The Name day of everyone named Ekaterina, Katerina, Katya.
The holiday of Saint Martyr Catherine is called Katerininden (Catherine’s Day) in Bulgaria. People pay homage to this saint for her abilities to cure rabies and measles. Early in the morning the woman of the house, who must be ritually clean (i.e. not in her monthly period), kneads 5, 7, or 9 breads of wheat with “silent” water and decorates them with the spindle. Then she covers them with molasses, treacle or honey and gives them out to neighbours.
    If there are small children in the house, the mistress should take two breads, stands at a crossroad and gives every passer-by a piece, saying: “Here, take some for Saint Catherine, so she stays by our home and protects us from Measles and Rabies!” Each passer-by must take a piece and, after making the sign of the cross on their chest three times, they should say: “Thank you, woman, for the sweet bread. As my fingers are sticky let health stick to your children!” - “Amen! God bless us!”, the woman replies and watches that the pieces of bread are finished with an odd number of passers-by, so the diseases be banished from the house. And people believed that in a house where such pieces of bread are given out, no measles or rabies will enter.
      Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, is considered the patroness of philosophers and preachers. Saint Catherine is believed to have been born in Alexandria of a noble family. Converted to Christianity through a vision, she denounced Emperor Maxentius (306-312 AD) for persecuting Christians. Fifty of her converts were then burned to death by Maxentius.
      The Emperor offered Catherine a royal marriage if she would deny the Faith. Her refusal landed her in prison. While in prison, and while Maxentius was away, Catherine converted Maxentius' wife and two hundred of his soldiers. He had them all put to death. Catherine was likewise condemned to death. She was put on a spiked wheel, and when the wheel broke, she was beheaded. She is venerated as the patroness of philosophers and preachers.  Saint Catherine's was one of the voices heard by Saint Joan of Arc.
       Maxentius' blind fury against Saint Catherine is symbolic of the anger of the world in the face of truth and justice. When we live a life of truth and justice, we can expect the forces of evil to oppose us. Our perseverance in good, however, will be everlasting. Wonderful songs were created for Saint Catherine’s Day in which they praised the goodness and the heavenly beauty of young Catherine: “…Catherine is known, to the king and the vizier, for she is a dazzling beauty, a beauty, not seen before…”

 

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