Bulgarians mark Cherry All Souls' Day

Every year on Saturday before the great Christian holiday of Pentecost, the Church marks the second All Souls' Day of the year, which the people call Cherry All Souls' Day because it always coincides with cherry harvest season.

In the calendar of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, All Souls' Day is celebrated on the Saturdays before Great Lent, before Pentecost and before Archangel's Day (November 8).

In every Orthodox church in the country, a liturgy and a memorial service are held, during which the priests read the names of deceased relatives of the people present.

It is a custom on this day for people to visit the graves of their deceased loved ones to clean them and decorate them with flowers. Then, they pour water and red wine over the dirt in memory of Christ's sacrifice for us and light a church candle.

It is also a tradition to pass boiled wheat, bread, wine, cherries and other foods to as many people as possible who say "May God forgive the dead”.

On All Souls' Day, believers do not do housework and direct their prayers and thoughts towards the spiritual salvation of the deceased.

Photos: BGNES, BTA