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| Ignazhden (St. Ignacius) 20 December - Bulgarian customs |
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In different region, people call it Ignat-day, Idinak, Polyaz, Polyazovden. On this day begin the celebrations for Christmas and New Year. This is the first day where the dinner table is ritually blessed.
The dinner is entirely vegetarian (we are still in Xmas Fast) with dried fruits compote ("oshaf"), boiled corn, wheat, barley, walnuts, beans, cabbage, onion, garlic, pickled peppers, plain pita (leavened bread unlike the pita-bread known in eastern cuisine), kravajcheta (type of small bread), potatoes & rice, bulgur.
A candle is lit on the bread and the wheat, while the oldest person in the family blesses the table with charcoal and incense. The ash, candles & walnuts are then kept aside to be used the remaining days until Xmas.
The most characteristic is the ritual of 'polyazvane'. It is said that whoever enters the house first will be indicative for the health, harvest, property in the year to come. This person is called 'polyaznik' ( also poleznik, spohodnik). He must go to the hearth, stir the fire with a pear or oak tree stick and say:
"As many sparkles and flames in this fire, that many chickens, lambs, kids, calves, horses and children in this house".
For his blessing, the 'polyaznik' is showered with wheat and dried fruit, and given a shirt, socks, towel or wool. Then the hosts make a rich table and everyone sits down to eat.
On this day, it is said, began the labour of Virgin Mary, and this is why on this day young married women should not work -- so they can get pregnant & deliver easily. Also, nothing is borrowed or lent out (so the harvest is not wasted) and no visits are paid (so the chicken don't stray away to the neighbours).
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| Friday, Dec 09, 2016 |
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