St Nicholas Day Marked in Bulgaria on Tuesday

The traditional Nikulden dish is oven-baked carp, stuffed with rice, walnuts, raisins and herbs. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

The Day of St Nicholas (Nikola), the patron of fisherman, sailors, merchants and bankers, is being marked nationwide by Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria on Monday, December 06.

Known as Nikulden, it is also a special day for anyone named Nikolay, Nikola, Nikolina, Nikoleta, Neycho, Kolyo and many others - which means more than a hundred thousand Bulgarians.

All (or most) of these normally use the occasion to invite family members, relatives, or friends to their home to have fish for lunch or dinner. Stuffed carp is considered to be the traditional choice; and the table has to be richly laid, given the Bulgarian custom that if someone is celebrating their name day, others may come to their home uninvited.

Nikulden, however, is even a more special day in Bulgaria's annual festive calendar: in practice anyone may invite over lunch or dinner without bearing the name Nikoleta or Nikola.

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