I want to share some of the traditions in my home country of Bulgaria. Big Sechko is old Bulgarian name for January.
https://bulgarianhistory.org/osem-praznika-ianuari/



Bulgarian Traditions in January by unknow autor, resurch and traslated by Ann Wood

There 8 holidays, traditions and customs in January:
Did you know that the old Bulgarian name of January is Big Sechko? The name is associated with the big cold this month, which interrupts farming. According to the Gregorian calendar, this is the first month of the year. Its name comes from the Roman god Janus, guardian of the doors and a symbol of every beginning.
January and February have been added to the calendar for the past two months, since the Romans thought there were no months in the winter. The month of the beginning is full of holidays and traditions, and we have selected 8 of them to familiarize you with in detail in the following lines.

St. Basil's Day, Surva:
January 1 marks the beginning of the new calendar year. The Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Basil the Great, and nouns are Vasil, Vasilka, Vasilena, Vesela and others. Survacking is a folk tradition where young men - survakars, go round the houses and survakat their owners. The driver, also called the donkey, collects the money and other gifts received. The youngsters wear rags decorated with popcorn, dried fruits and wool and pat the farmers on the back to stay healthy all year long. It is no coincidence that the band's cheeses are made from dogwood. It is one of the healthiest tree species, it blooms early and its fruits are harvested last.

St. Sylvester Roman, Sylvester day:
The day is considered to be Survaki's second day dedicated to cattle - buffaloes, oxen, horses. The holiday is also called Volski Feast, Rinachovden, Karamanovden and Silvestrovden and is celebrated on the second of January. It is associated with the cleaning of the barns, and the curious thing about it is that the young people wander around the homes of the owners who have livestock and clean their barn, unsettled during the Christmas holidays. They then take the bag left by the farmers, usually filled with bread and wine, and leave without telling anyone. It is believed that whatever person first crosses the threshold of your home that day, healthy or sick, bad or good, will be the whole year.

Holy Epiphany, Jordan:
Day of Light and Enlightenment, Jordan is one of the most solemn feasts of the church. It is dedicated to the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and is celebrated with a festive water feast on January 6th. It is also called Crossword or Aquarius because everyone who wants to stay healthy during the year bathes in the river and thus ends the so-called. Dirty Days. The ritual sprinkling with water of Epiphany also results in the customs associated with wetting and watering all nouns throughout the year. The water is sanctified, and after worship in the church, the priest throws a cross into the water and the jumps jump to get it out. The belief is that the one who first grasps the cross will be healthy and happy all year long, while walking with him through the village everyone greets him with gifts.

Ivanovden:
St. John's Day is celebrated on St. John's Day. John the Baptist, who baptizes Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. John is also called the Forerunner because he foretells the coming of Christ to earth and prepares his way with sermons. The ceremonial bathing on Yordanovden continues on Ivanovden - January 7. St. John is the patron saint of fraternity and godfather, and that is why on this day the young men bathe the girls, the young boys and the nouns also bathe. Ritual bathing is accompanied by gifts and holiday dinners. The meal includes blood, pie, wheat, beans, roasted onions. Name day is celebrated by Ivan, Ivanka, John, John, Vanina and others.

Babinden:
On January 8, Babinden celebrates the health of children, midwives and midwives. The holiday has several ritual elements - grandmothers bathe young children and bless them, smear children with honey and butter, donate grandmothers with ritual cows and wool, as well as table young brides at Grandma's home. All the young women to whom the grandmother used to be a grandmother during the year participate by carrying a banitsa, wine, cake, etc. This is one of the biggest women's festivities in the country, and it is based on the desire to show respect and appreciation for the elderly women who gave birth during the year. The holiday ends with a grandmother's ritual bathing in the river. They all sing songs and have fun. After the grandmother's bathing, a towel, cloth and socks are donated, which the young women place on their right and shoulder.

Antonovden:
On January 17, it is celebrated Antonovden, or as it is called - Leland. The memory of St. Anthony the Great. Rituals for disease prevention are made, since it is believed that on Antonovden day they all gather, and the next day (Atanasovden) they go to people. Curiously, on the holiday, women do not knit, cook beans and lentils, and do not spin, so as not to annoy the plague, the measles and the "blue bud." In Bulgarian folklore St. Atanas and St. Anthony are related. The two are supposed to have been blacksmith brothers, which is why the day is also celebrated by blacksmiths and ironmongers. Tradition requires two honey cakes to be mixed and given to friends, neighbors and relatives, and a third cake left to the plague ceiling.Antoine, Anton, Antoinette and others are nouns of this day.

Atanasovden:
January 18 is the date on which the memory of St. Athanasius the Great. In the folk beliefs of St. Atanas is portrayed as the lord of snow and ice, and from that day on, it is believed that winter is beginning to go away. Dressed in a silk shirt, on his white horse he climbs the mountain, where he yells, "Go winter, come summer!" Because of this, the holiday is also known as Mid-winter. Like Antonovden, Atanasovden is worshiped by blacksmiths, knives and hardware, and as a holiday in honor of the plague and the plague. Women abide by the same prohibitions as on Antonovden (they do not cook lentils and beans, do not spin or knit), and in some parts of the country, girls and young people go out to the meadows to play people, sing songs and tie swings. Name day is celebrated by Atanas, Atanaska, Nasko, Zhivko, Zhivka and others.

Rooster's Day:
January 20 is celebrated Petlyovden or Petelarovden to keep the boys healthy and productive. The holiday is known by different names because it coincides with the day of the Christian holiday honoring the memory of St. Eutimius. Curious on this day is the ritual knee of a rooster, often at the threshold of the front door, and blood from it must be sprayed on the door. The rooster is being driven by a teenager, and with the blood spattered, a rite mark is made on the faces of the rooster and the boys. According to custom, the cock is thrown out of the yard and then retracted, leaving its head at the collar. The knee of the cock that day is associated with the legend of King Herod, who commands all male children to be beheaded so that Christ also dies.




Short story by Ann Wood The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2020-01-07 at 17:12

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