Bulgarian marks Todorovden

 Bulgarian people marked on Saturday, March 19, 2016, Todorovden (St. Todor’s Day). The Bulgarian Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Theodore of Amasea on this day, which is the first Saturday in the Great Lent. The saint is also commemorated on February 17.
Todorovden is traditionally marked with horse races, called in Bulgarian ”kushii”. The winner receives a shirt or a towel, while his horse is given reins as a gift at the places where traditions are observed.
People named Todor, Todorka, Teodor, Teodora, Bozhidar, Yuliyan, Yuliyana celebrate their name day on this day.
By tradition, Todorovden was solemnly marked at the stadium in the Benkovski residential district of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia on Saturday.
The initiative was organised by the Sofia Interior Ministry Directorate with the support of Sofia Municipality.
A ritual was performed on the square in Benkovski at 10:30 a.m., while traditional horse races and demonstrations were later held at the stadium.
Representatives of the mounted police with the Sofia Interior Ministry Directorate took part in the event.
Ethnologist Dr Iglika Mishkova spoke for FOCUS News Agency on the occasion of Todorovden.
“A round loaf of bread, mushroom soup, and a “Todorovden lentils dish” have to be served on St. Todor’s Day as the feast is commemorated during the Great Lent,” she said.
“Special ritual bread is very frequently made over the feast. It has the shape of a horseshoe or respectively resembles a stylized horse. This bread has to be decorated with a clove of garlic or walnuts. The ritual bread is called “doll”, “Saint Todor”, “hoof”, “horse”, and others. People have to groom their horses on this day. Horse manes are braided with beads to protect the animals from the evil eye. In fact, people pay special attention to their horses on this day,” Mishkova noted.
“As Saint Todor is the patron of fertility, young married women make bread for the first time on this day,” the ethnologist went on to say.
“Saint Todor is the patron of fertility and horses are animals that are very fertile; young married women make bread for the first time,” the specialist remarked.
According to her, parents-in-law use tender words to turn to their daughter-in-law if they like the bread and she is expected to bear them a grandchild.
“There are regions in the country in which young married women make special small breads that are obligatorily coated in sweetened water. Afterwards, they have to go to their best man’s home with their wedding wreath of flowers while festively dressed. This is seen again as a ritual that brings health and fertility. By tradition, everyone goes to their parents’ home to have a festive dinner. All things allowed to be consumed during the Great Lent are served on St. Todor’s Day,” Iglika Mishkova noted.
In her words, there are also a number of rituals connected with horses people go through on this day.
Women have to bathe their children before the clatter of horse’s hooves is heard so that they are healthy.
Grandmothers have to cut a lock of their grandchildren’s hair and bury it under an apple tree so that children are “sweet”.
Women also perform a ritual in which they have to wash their hair with water in which straw from a horse manger tied with a red tread is put. It is believed their hair will thus be healthy and shiny, similarly to the tail of a horse.

Прочети цялата новина http://www.klassa.bg/News/Read/article/265831_Bulgarian+marks+Todorovden

Свързани новини: