Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Police Celebrate Michaelmas

According to the Bulgarian folklore, Archangel Michail holds a golden apple in one hand and a knife in the other. File photo

The Bulgarian Church honors on Tuesday Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael the Archangel (also the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael) or the Feast of Michael and All Angels.

In the Christian Orthodox calendar Michaelmas falls on November 8.

The Bulgarian Police celebrate the day of Archangel Michael or Michaelmas as their professional holiday. This year policemen will mark the 132nd anniversary since the establishment of police force in the country.

Michelmas in Bulgaria is the name day of people named Angel, Angelina, Michael, Michaela, Radka, Radmila, Rayna, Reneta, Ognyan, Plamen and Emil.

The Archangel Michael is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence.

The Christian Orthodox Church introduced the holiday to oppose the heretic Judea since, according to some canons of the Old Testament, they had fallen into a pagan worship of the sun, the moon, the stars and believed that angels have created all living things and were more important than Christ.

With the recognition of Michaelmas, the Christian Orthodox Church also imposed the idea of the appearance of the nine angelic religious orders in the Day of the Judgment, called also the Eight Day.

According to the Christian Orthodox Church, Saint Michael is one of the seven primary angels, who is always standing near God's throne and represents God's word.

Angles are the guardians of the human race and each individual receives one guardian angel at birth.

According to the Bulgarian folklore, Archangel Michail holds a golden apple in one hand and a knife in the other. He tempts people, who are going to die with the apple and takes out their souls with the knife.

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