On November 21, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates the Introduction of the Virgin Mary – the day when Mary was introduced into a Christian temple and handed over to the service of God. According to the Holy Scriptures, on this day the three-year-old Mary was taken by her parents Saint Joachim and Saint Anna to the Jerusalem Temple to serve God. Everyone else was amazed when her parents left her on the first step outside the temple entrance and she climbed all fifteen by herself. On the top step she was met by the father of St. John the Baptist – High Priest Zacharias. After reaching the age at which young temple graduates return to the world to marry, she was “given” to her elderly relative Joseph, who was to watch over her.
The veneration of the Introduction of the Virgin dates back to the year 715, when for the first time the feast in was honored independently. There is a church dedicated to him in Constantinople, built by Emperor Justinian the Great.
Only Bulgarians honor today as a holiday of the Christian family, as once again the church canon is intertwined with folk beliefs and customs. The day is a symbol of the introduction of the young person into the bosom of faith. According to tradition, the Christian family goes to church together today, and the elders tell the youngsters Bible parables and truths. After the church visit, the family sits around the table for a glass of wine, bread and a warm feast. In this way, the healthy relationship between everyone in the family is celebrated, and the table is not destroyed so that the Mother of God can come at night, feast and bless the home.
According to the folk beliefs of today, it is guessed what the coming year will be, according to the weather – if it is sunny and warm, the winter will be hot and the summer dry; if it rains or snows, the winter will be very snowy, the summer rainy, and the harvest rich.
Names: Wolf, Vulcan, Vulcana, Valcho, Valchan, Valo
Tags: weather today coming year directories
