Description
BAPTISM OF THE LORD is a Christian holiday commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, which is celebrated on 6th of January. Baptism of the Lord incorporated with the feast of the Epiphany, accepting that at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River God appears in his triune nature: the Son – Christ, the Holy Spirit – in the form of a dove that lands on Christ and the Voice of the Heavenly Father (Voice of God), who announces that Christ is His Son.
Rituals
On this holiday, the custom of jumping into a river to retrieve the cross thrown by the priest is practiced.
Whoever reaches the cross first and pulls it out will be healthy and happy. It is believed that if the cross freezes, the year will be healthy and fruitful. Where the cross is thrown, the sick are bathed (sprinkled) in order to recover.
On the eve of Midsummer Day, the third (last) Christmas Dinner is prepared. Only lean dishes are put on the table: beans, boiled cabbage or sarmi, walnuts, bread, wine. On the table, the unlit candle from the second Christmas Eve is also lit.
Name days
Bogdan, Bogdana, Bogolyub, Bogolyuba, Bogomil, Bojan, Bojana, Bozhidar, Bozhidara, Bozhil, Borislav, Borislava, Boyan, Boyana, Yordan, Yordanka, Nayden, Theodosius
