St. Barbara's Day is celebrated on December 4th.. The people consider the saint to be the patron saint of measles – a disease that mostly affected children, but also many adults. In order not to get sick, on this day they did not mention this name and to appease her, they called her Baba Sharka. In Thrace, there is a custom to slaughter a hen and to incense the house for the first time in the year. In Western Bulgaria, children went around the houses and called them Varvaritsi. They were the main characters in the rituals, because they most often got sick with measles. St. Barbara's Day is also known as Women's Christmas.

You can purchase the entire folklore collection here:

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

The next day, December 5, Bulgarians honor St. Sava.. On this day, the patron spirit is honored. Every home and every family has a patron spirit, which usually takes the form of a dragon, i.e. a snake.

According to popular belief, St. Barbara and St. Sava are two sisters, and St. Nicholas is their brother. With them begins the cycle of winter holidays.

You can read more about the holidays and customs of the old Bulgarians here.

© 2023 Iliana Dechkova