Orthodox Bulgaria Celebrates Annunciation

Bulgarian Christians celebrate Sunday one of the most important Christian holidays - Annunciation, reported FOCUS News Agency.

In Bulgaria, the day is marked by both the Bulgarian Orthodox majority and the Catholic and Protestant minorities.

According to the Bible, Annunciation is the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, by Archangel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. It is believed Annunciation took place in the village of Nazareth.

Annunciation is especially important in Eastern Orthodoxy because it is the action initiating Christ's Incarnation. Thus, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is always celebrated on March 25.

The most complicated Orthodox liturgy, the so called Kyriopascha, occurs when Pascha (Easter Sunday) coincides with the Annunciation (March 25). However, this is not the case in 2010.

In Bulgaria, Annunciation is called Blagoveshtenie, which literally means "delivery of the good news".

Together with Annunciation, Bulgarians also celebrate the traditional holiday Blagovets, which has its roots in the national folklore. It had several meanings developed into a complex system of omens and beliefs.

In the Bulgarian tradition Blagovets related to the arrival of the migratory birds and the spring awakening of nature.

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