Description
On July 27, together with St. Clement of Ohrid and the Seven Saints (known as the Seven Saints), the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the great martyr St. Panteleimon. His name means “compassionate”. The saint was known among the people as a healer who selflessly helped the poor and the sick.
He studied medicine under the then-famous doctor Euphrosinus and became a court physician. Because of his activities during his lifetime, St. Panteleimon was proclaimed the patron saint of doctors and midwives.
Rituals
On the day of his celebration in Strandzha, the sick lit candles on the fig trees and collected the dew from the leaves to drink it for health. In the Belogradchik region, people believed that on this day they could drive away infectious diseases such as plague and measles.
It is also called “Water Pantelei”. In the past, women prepared cakes and distributed them in his honor so that there would be no hail, storms, floods …
Great Martyr Panteleimon is honored by the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
Name days
Pancho, Pantelei, Panka, Panto, Pano, etc.