Who has a name day today, December 20, 2024. Congratulations!

Today we honor the memory of St. Ignatius the God-bearer, one of the best disciples of St. Apostle John the Theologian, so called because he carried God in his heart.

Basically, Ignatius the God-bearer is celebrated on December 20, but when the date falls on a Sunday, the holiday is moved to December 19.

The people believe that the Christmas and New Year holidays begin on this day.

According to beliefs, this day is considered the beginning of the Dirty Days (from Ignatius the God-bearer to Epiphany) and the transition from the old to the new year.

In some regions of Bulgaria it is called New Day. The other names of the holiday are Ignatius and Young Year.

According to Christian tradition, the birth pangs of the Virgin Mary begin on this day. This is the period during which young and barren women, called "martyrs", do not work in order to get pregnant and give birth to their children more easily.

Whoever enters the house on Ignazhden first can predict what the next year will be like.

The one who steps on the threshold of the house first is called "polaznik", the hostess gives him an Ignatov bread and he sits at the head of the table.

Nothing should be taken out of the house - especially fire, embers or salt, so that the blessing does not leave.

It is believed that if the weather is cloudy on Ignazhden, the harvest will be good and there will be abundance in the hives.

Early in the morning on Ignazhden, women light a fire, put a pot of stew on it and prepare dough for bread. From it, they knead cookies for each family member and one cookie, which they save for Christmas Eve.

Small pretzels ("horseshoes") are also prepared, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Today's table should include beans, wheat, osha, walnuts, boiled corn, cabbage, onions, pickled peppers, potatoes with rice, bulgur, yeast pita bread, and croissants.

Today, everyone who bears the names - Plamen, Plamena, Ognyan, Ognyana, Ignat, Ignata and Igo celebrates.