From "Once upon a time - manners and worldview of the Bulgarians" (see in the Shop)

What are we celebrating?

June 24 is a double holiday - national and Christian. On this date, the Christian Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist, who came to this world a few years before Jesus Christ and paved the way for his teaching. He began the conversion of the Jews in the Jordan River and baptized Jesus himself. And the people worship the Sun because the day coincides with the summer solstice. In older times, the longest day of the year astronomically fell around June 23-24. That is why the national holiday is fixed on this date. In the last hundred years, the astronomically longest day of the year has been around June 20-21. This holiday should be movable, not fixed, and should not be confused with the birth of the Baptist.

The name of the holiday is different in different parts of the country - in the Sofia Region the name of the holiday is Yanevden, in Struga - Ivanden, in Ohrid - Ivanden, in Velikoturnovo - Ivan bilyober or Dragiyka.

Enyo leaves for snow

Even though summer was in full swing, people said that on this day Enyo put on his coat and went for snow. This is because after this day, the longest of the year, it begins to decrease. According to old beliefs, on the morning of June 24, the Sun flickers, "plays", and whoever sees it will be healthy throughout the year. It stops to rest and bathes in the living water. Therefore, on the night before the holiday, water acquires magical power. On the night before the holiday, no water is drunk or poured, and on the day of the holiday, no washing is done. When the sun sets, "silent" water is poured from a pure, sweet spring (poured in complete silence so as not to be defiled by human voice) and carried home. Women use it for divination and healing. Another belief says that on the night before Midsummer, where there is a buried treasure, a blue flame comes out of the ground.

Folklore collection "Once upon a time - manners and worldview of the Bulgarians"

Let's guess

And on this holiday, women divine for health and marriage, for fertility. As with Laduvation and St. George's Day, wrists or rings are sung. The custom of "Enyova Bullya" is very common. The custom is mainly used for divination. The maidens are told about their marriage, and the others - whether they will be healthy during the year and whether it will be fertile. "Bulyata" is a little girl, 7-8 years old, the last of her mother, a scoundrel. They dress him in a long white shirt and a red outer garment called a kavat. They cover him with a red veil. On his head they place a silver pair and a wreath of yarrow. Four maidens carry the "bula" around the village, on the fields and gardens, the fountains and the wells. They sing ritual songs and pray to St. Enyo health and fertility. After the tour and the chants, they return the "bula" to the house, where they put it on. Since the night before, the girls have left their wrists soaked in a basin of water to spend the night under the stars. The girls start chanting which girl is going to marry which guy, and during this time the "boulya" pulls out the wrists one by one. Finally, they wash the face of the "bulya" with the silent water, dress the girl in new clothes and return her home. This custom is very popular in the southern regions of Thrace.

The magic herbs

Another custom performed on this day is picking herbs. It is believed that on this day the grasses and herbs have a magical power, which, however, disappears when the Sun rises. Therefore, even before sunrise, the women who were engaged in healing and fortune-telling, got up early and went to pick herbs. Herbs collected for the winter should be "77 and a half" — for all diseases and for "the disease without a name." The first herb picked is yarrow, which is used to make wreaths tied with red thread. Women make as many wrists as there are family members. They call them by name, let them spend the night under the stars, and in the morning they divine their health. After that, they hang the Enen wrists in different places in the house and use them throughout the year for healing - incense the sick with them, bathe them with water in which they previously left the wrists to stand. And with a part of the gathered grasses they make a big wreath and everyone passes under it to be healthy. Herbs are also harvested on St. George's Day, but they are mainly used to treat cattle, while the herbs on Midsummer's Day are for people.

Some of the female sorcerers were believed to "steal" or "cheat" fertility from the fields during the festival. Such women went to someone else's fields, stripped naked and performed rituals that took the fertility from the fields and "took" it to their fields. As they danced naked in the fields, their stalks "worshipped". Only the King of the Plains remained upright. Then the sorceress would tear it off and take it to her field or to the fields of the one who ordered her. Fertility left with the king. Of course, there were also rituals with which people protected themselves from such "cheats". The farmer reaped his fields alone, before the festival, at the four ends or in the middle, and so the witch decided that this field was already harvested.

They celebrate a name day

Ioan, Ioana, Yanko, Yani, Yana, Yanka, Enyo, Denitsa (from Dennitsa – to be bright, white and pure like the long, sunny day).

© 2023 Iliana Dechkova