Date and public holiday status
St Daniel’s Day, known in Bulgarian as Daniilovden, is observed every year on 17 December. It is not a public holiday: it is a normal working day in Bulgaria.
The Orthodox Church commemorates the holy prophet Daniel together with the three young men Ananias, Azarias and Misael. Their feast falls shortly before Christmas, during the Nativity Fast, the period of fasting before Christmas.
The prophet Daniel
Daniel was taken captive to Babylon as a young man. According to the Bible, he was thrown into a lions’ den because he continued to pray to God, but remained unharmed. The three young men were thrown into a fiery furnace and also emerged alive.
The Book of Daniel is part of the Old Testament. Its stories are symbols of faithfulness and courage, presenting Daniel as someone who preserved his faith and dignity in a foreign and hostile setting.
The name Daniel means “God is my judge”. The prophet is also known for interpreting the dreams of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and for the vision of the “writing on the wall” associated with King Belshazzar.
Name day and religious meaning
This is a name day—a celebration associated with a person’s given name—for people called Daniel, Daniela, Daniil, Danail, Dani and related names.
The three young men in the fiery furnace are mentioned in church hymns around Christmas as a foreshadowing of the miracle of the Incarnation, God becoming human. This connection gives their feast a particular place within the Nativity Fast.