Bulgaria Braces for July's Dog Days

One fine way to spend the hottest three days of the summer season. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarians are preparing for the forthcoming three hottest days of the summer season, July 15-17.

Apart from surviving the peak temperatures, during the three days Orthodox Bulgarians will commemorate Saint Martyrs Kirik and Julita (Cyricus and Julitta), Atinogen and Marina.

The celebrations marking the Dog Days (Goreshtnici) vary across different parts of Bulgaria.

The three days, known as the feasts of fire, are celebrated after a pagan tradition for worshipping the sun and the fire as its earthly equivalent.

In the period July 15-17, no one is supposed to work on the field, in the garden or at home, otherwise fire will fall from the skies and will burn the fields and the houses.

These days are also characterized by prayers for rain, fortune-telling and divination.

In some parts of the country, it is believed that if people get bathed into healing waters during the three days, they will not get sick during the rest of the yearc or will be cured of their afflictions.

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