This is
one of the biggest holidays in February. It celebrates the fortieth
day of the birth of Christ and his reception from the pious Simon, of
whom the Holy Ghost foretells that he will not die before he sees
Christ. That is why the holiday's name is Sretenie (because of the
meeting of Simon and Christ).
A solemn evening service is held in the church and each
youngster that has been baptised is taken to the temple and is
presented to God. This ritual is called vacarkvovenie.
There are two kinds of
rituals in the church - cleansing of the mother from a sin and
consecration of the child into God. It is a custom for the parents to
bring a gift to the church -a lamb or a turtledove.
Women observe the restriction not to work on this day.
This day
the Church commemorates an important event in the earthly life of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Forty days after His birth, the God-Infant was
taken to the Jerusalem Temple, the centre of the nation's religious
life. According to the Law of Moses, a woman who gave birth to a male
child was forbidden to enter the Temple of God for forty days. At the
end of this time the mother came to the Temple with the child, to
offer a young lamb or pigeon to the Lord as a purification sacrifice.
The Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, had no need of purification,
since she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity without
defilement. However, she humbly fulfilled the requirements of the Law.
At this time the righteous Elder Symeon
(feast day on February 3) was living in Jerusalem. It had been
revealed to him that he would not die until he should behold the
promised Messiah. By inspiration from above, St. Symeon went to the
Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint
Joseph had brought the Infant Jesus to fulfil the Law.
The God-Receiver Symeon took the divine Child in his
arms, and giving thanks to God, he spoke the words repeated by the
Church each evening at Vespers: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a
light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel".
Righteous Symeon said to the Most Holy Virgin: "Behold, this child is
set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign
which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through your
own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed".
The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord is among the
most ancient feasts of the Christian Church. Despite its early origin,
this Feast was not celebrated so splendidly until the sixth century.
Candlemas, Presentation in the Temple
Candlemas, or the Presentation in the temple is one of
the four days of the year, dedicated to the Holy Virgin. The Bulgarian
Orthodox church marks it on February 2.
40 days after the birth of Jesus, Mary took him to the temple in
Jerusalem. According to the laws of Moses, the first-born son had to
be dedicated to God. In those times there was a pious old man living
in Jerusalem - Simon - who was eagerly awaiting the coming of the
Messiah - Jesus. He was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would see
the saviour before he died. When baby Jesus was brought, Simon entered
the temple, took him in his arms and
blessed
him with the prophetic words that the Son of God born of Virgin Mary
would bring light to the heathens. And that the Holy Virgin would
suffer such anguish during her son's sufferings and death at the cross
as if a sword was piercing her soul. Besides St. Simon, the prophet
Anna also recognized the Messiah in Jesus. And when she saw him, she
began to praise the Lord and to spread the word that the saviour had
come to redeem all men. The Christian church included Candlemas in the
list of 12 great feast days of the year - and on the following day it
reveres the memory of St. Simon and Prophet Anna. This day,
established in the early centuries of Christianity, was celebrated
with particular grandeur during the time of Byzantine emperor
Justinian the Great - in the 4th century AD.
In Bulgaria, this day devoted to the Holy virgin
brings together numerous believers. Virgin Mary is the patroness of
women and maternity, of children, the family and the home. It is with
them that the rituals performed on this day are connected. Mothers
take their small children to the temple and leave offerings for health
and prosperity. Candlemas marks the end of what is known as the
unclean days, when the newly born and its mother are particularly
susceptible to evil forces. After Candlemas comes their purification.
Thus, the newly born becomes part of the adult world. That is why on
this day, women and their children flock to the churches. And their
prayer to Virgin Mary is kneaded into the special ritual loaves. One
such loaf is broken in front of the icon, where there is a candle
burning, with the hope of a healthy child and a good year.
As most Christian holidays in Bulgaria, Candlemas or the
Presentation in the temple carries elements from ancient pagan cults.
Their interpretation goes back to the manifold nature of the Great
mother goddess, and are connected with the cosmos and birth, with the
death and the resurrection of God, with chaos and destruction. On this
day believers revere Virgin Mary and try to appease the forces of evil
through abstention and many other magic taboos. On this day one should
do no work, otherwise the children will not be born healthy. If on
this day you take money, you will take money throughout the year; if
you give money, you will give money until the year is over. If there
is snow, then in the summer the bees will swarm, and if the weather is
fine - the next 40 days will be fine as well.
Click on thumbnail to
return to Festival Calendar
PEACE HAVENS of BULGARIA
