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St. Ignatius Day (Ignazhden) - Customs and Traditions

Wednesday, Dec 20, 2017

St. Ignatius the God-Bearer is commemorated on December 20th.

A name day celebrate: Ignat, Ignata, Ignatiy, Igno, Ignyo, Igo, Igon, Iga, Ignatka, Igne, Iskra, Plamen, Plamena, Ognyan, Ognyana, Ogi, Ognemir, Ognemira, Svetla

St. Ignatius the God-Bearer was a disciple of Saint John the Theologian, and later became the Bishop of Antioch, who wisely ruled his flock without sparing effort or energy.

St. Ignatius’s Day is a special day in the folk calendar. The early morning “polaza” is what determines what the family’s life will be like in the coming year. According to popular belief, depending on the kind of person (good, bad, healthy, ill, rich, poor) who first visits the house, such will be the life of the members of the family. For this reason there used to be a tacit ban on calling in on people early in the morning.

On this day nothing is supposed to leave the house – especially fire, embers or slat – in order for prosperity not to “leave”. Nothing is to be borrowed or lent.

People are not supposed to leave the table before the end of the meal otherwise the hens wouldn’t lay eggs. They are not supposed to go out to the yard either, so that the hens lay more. It is forbidden to saw or knit, so that the guts of the hens don’t tangle and stop them from laying eggs. It is forbidden to do the washing, so that no illness falls upon you.

It is not good if a child is conceived on St. Ignatius’s Day, because it may be born with a defect.

Pregnant women and those who are not yet mothers must not work, in order to give birth easily. This is related to the belief that from St. Ignatius’s Day on Virgin Mary’s labor pains started, and that is why these days are called “Machenitsi” (martyrs).

Source: balkansko-shops.bg