The hot days are the days in the middle of the hottest month of the year – July. Weather and natural elements are an important part of the people’s daily lives. Storms, hail, drought and floods are natural disasters that can destroy the main livelihood of people – agriculture and animal husbandry. Ordinary people realized that nature is stronger than them. And since the Bulgarian is very superstitious, he believes that these misfortunes are sent by God. Therefore, the people were looking for a way to appease God in order to preserve their harvest.

The hottest days of the year inevitably bring hail – the main scourge of agriculture. In the old days, after the destruction of the harvest came famine. These days are special for all regions of the country. In Northern Bulgaria they are called Churliga, Purliga and Mariga. There, the last day of the Hot Days is dedicated to St. Marina, which is why she is also called Marina Ognena.. People believed that she was the mistress of hail. Other hail saints are St. German, St. Bartholomew, St. Elisha and St. Elijah. Vidovden – the day of reckoning, also refers to the days dedicated to natural disasters. In Southern Bulgaria these days are called Lyuta, Churuta (Chyuruka) and Opalena Maria. There people honor the week from July 15 to July 20, which they call Zapalena, Opalena Nedelya. In the Pirin region it is also known as Gramna Nedelya. In Macedonia these days are also honored as holidays. In the region of Ohrid, Bitola and Veles the days are known as Blųsatsi, Germanovtsi, Chýrutsi or Churetsi.

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

What is characteristic of all holidays dedicated to the saints, patrons of the natural elements, is that there are strict prohibitions.. During the hot days, no work is done in the fields or at home. Women should not wash, mop, or clean, lest they be flooded. No fire is lit in the hearth, lest a fire break out, not even bread is baked. If someone does not observe the prohibition, not only he and his family, but the entire village could suffer from fires and hail.

If the fields were dry, people prayed for rain. If the year was rainy, people prayed for sun and drought. On the evening of the last day – July 17, people lit a common fire, which was young and alive, and each family took it home to ignite the home hearth.

Here, as with most holidays, fortune-telling is not excluded. People mainly guess about the weather and the harvest, and not so much about engagements and weddings. People were afraid of what would happen to them during the hottest months of the year, and therefore on July 15 they guessed about the weather in January, on the 16th - about February, and on the 17th - about March.

And since water, in addition to being an element, is also a symbol of life, in some parts of the country, ritual bathing of sick and healthy people in healing waters was practiced.

© 2023 Iliana Dechkova