The meaning of Annunciation
Annunciation, known in Bulgarian as Blagoveshtenie, is celebrated every year on 25 March, nine months before Christmas. It commemorates the day when the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God.
Mary’s reply, “Let it be according to your word,” is understood in Christian teaching as the beginning of salvation. This gives Annunciation a particularly joyful place in the church calendar. The holiday almost always falls during Great Lent, but fish is permitted on this day because of its religious significance.
Folk traditions welcoming spring
In Bulgaria’s folk calendar, Annunciation marks the true beginning of spring. According to tradition, this is when swallows and the cuckoo return, and snakes emerge from the ground.
Customs intended to drive snakes away include lighting fires early in the morning, banging pots and walking around the house. Another folk belief says that anyone who sees a swallow should have eaten well and have money in their pocket, to ensure health and prosperity throughout the year.
Working day and name days
Annunciation is not a public holiday: it is a normal working day in Bulgaria. Its church significance and folk customs do not make it an official day off.
It is also a name day—a celebration for people with particular given names. Those celebrating include Blagovest, Blagovesta, Blaga, Blagoy, Evangelina, Vangel and Vanyo, as well as people with related names.