Date and working-day status
St Barbara’s Day is observed on 4 December every year. In Bulgaria it is known as Varvarinden, the Bulgarian name for the church feast honouring Saint Barbara. It is not a public holiday: it is a normal working day in Bulgaria.
The day is also a name day for people called Varvara, Varya and related names. These name-day celebrations share the date with the church’s commemoration of the saint.
The story of Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara was a young woman from Heliopolis who lived in the third century. Her father, a pagan, kept her confined in a tower. When he learned that she had become a Christian, he handed her over to the authorities and beheaded her himself.
The church honours her as a great martyr. Saint Barbara is venerated as a protector against sudden death, while Bulgarian folk belief also associates her with protecting children from smallpox.
Barbara, Sava and Nicholas
In the Bulgarian folk calendar, the feast days of Barbara, Sava and Nicholas on 4, 5 and 6 December form a winter holiday cycle. A traditional saying links them together: “Barbara boils, Sava bakes, Nicholas hosts the guests.”
Folk belief describes Barbara as the sister of Sava and Nicholas. In connection with her protection of children, wheat, maize or beans are boiled with honey on her day and shared with neighbours as a wish for good health.