Bulgarian Christian Orthodox Honor Saint Varvara
4/12/2011
Bulgarian Christian Orthodox mark Sunday the Day of Saint Varvara.
Saint Varvara, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Varvara, was an early Christian saint and martyr. Her name can be traced to the 7th century, and veneration of her was common, especially in the East, from the 9th century.
As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Varvara continues to be a popular saint in modern times, perhaps best known as the patron saint of artillerymen, military engineers, miners and others who work with explosives because of her old legend’s association with lightning that killed her father, and also of mathematicians. Many of the thirteen miracles in a 15th-century French version of her story turn on the security she offered that her devotees would not die without making confession and receiving extreme unction.
Bulgarian Orthodox also believe that Varvara protects children from diseases, particularly measles.
In Bulgarian folklore, Saint Varvara is the sister of Sava, who is honored on the next day (December 5) and Saint Nikola, honored on December 6, called in Bulgaria “Nikulden.”
Varvara and Sava are also said to be the ones to prepare the “Nikulden” celebration. According to a Bulgarian proverb, Varvara is cooking, Sava is baking while Nikola is treating guests with food.
