Meaning and timing
St Theodore’s Day is known in Bulgarian as Todorovden, or Theodore’s Saturday. It falls on the first Saturday of Orthodox Lent, six days after Sirni Zagovezni, the celebration before Lent begins. Its date moves with Orthodox Easter, falling 43 days before it.
The Church honours the holy great martyr St Theodore of Tyre. In Bulgarian folk tradition, St Theodore is revered as the patron saint of horses, giving the celebration its popular name, “Horse Easter”. Horses are at the heart of the day’s best-known customs.
Horse races and ritual breads
The most distinctive tradition is the kushii, or horse races. Horses are brought to the village square, groomed, decorated with tassels and shod. The winning horse receives a prize, while its owner earns the respect of the village.
These races still take place today, particularly in northwestern and central Bulgaria. Alongside the racing tradition, women make horseshoe-shaped ritual breads called todorcheta or kravaicheta. They distribute the breads with wishes for the health of both people and animals.
Name days and public holiday status
Todorovden is a name day for people called Todor, Todorka, Teodor and Teodora, as well as those with related names. Like the holiday itself, this name-day celebration has a different date each year because it follows the date of Orthodox Easter.
St Theodore’s Day is not a public holiday: it is a normal working day in Bulgaria. It falls on Saturday, 28 February in 2026; Saturday, 20 March in 2027; and Saturday, 4 March in 2028.
