December 6 is Nikulden, a festival in honor of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, the saint associated with Christmas. He’s the patron of children, fishermen, sailors, bankers, and merchants. He’s also considered to be in charge of controlling all water bodies and reigns over creatures living in them. Often described as “Lord of the Sea,” Nicholas is compared to the Greek god Poseidon. Born 280 A.D. Died Dec. 6, 343 A.D.
Nikulden is a favorite saint’s feast day for many Bulgarians. He has various names in different parts of the world. Whether you know him as Father Christmas, St. Nick, or Santa Claus, his reputation for giving gifts makes him popular. Children leave stockings for him to fill on Christmas Eve. In Bulgaria, as well as in German-speaking countries, on the eve of December 5, children place wooden shoes by the fireplace, hoping the saint fills them with sweets, gifts, and coins.
The most famous story about the saint’s generosity tells how he secretly threw three purses of gold coins through the window of a poor man’s house for his three unmarried daughters. In those days, women needed a dowry to marry. Without marriage, a woman’s life was even more harsh.
In some parts of Bulgaria, unmarried women leave gifts at the saint’s icon in the church as part of pre-marriage rituals. Another custom is that those who have lost someone to the sea make wreaths, and toss them into the water in the departed’s memory.
Associated with these saint festivals comes the concept of name days, which is sometimes called a “half birthday.” The festivity is like a birthday, but more popular. Instead of celebrating the day of a person’s birth, people celebrate a day associated with that person’s name. Most often, these are held on saint feast days. So, a person named Nicholas would celebrate his name day on December 6. This is also Nelly’s name day, so please stop by wherever you find her on social media and wish her a happy name day!
Those celebrating name days most often provide food and beverages for guests. Since everyone knows when it’s another person’s name day, no special invitations are needed. Anyone can drop by to wish the person a blessing and happiness on his special day. Visitors bring a small gift; in olden days, a common gift was a shirt, a bottle of wine, or an apron.
At one time, if people didn’t want visitors on their name day, they placed ads in the paper stating they wouldn’t be receiving guests.
~ Origins ~
Long ago, a person’s name was like a magic word, an amulet, or a spell. Knowing someone’s name gave you power over him. Many fantasy novels work this fact into their storylines.
Even today, Bulgarians consider a person’s name important. One proverb says, “The name makes the man,” while another states, “A man with no name is no man.” On a person’s name day, it is customary to greet him with “Long live you and your name.”
Name days may have come about because people in ancient times didn’t know the exact date of their birth. They’d mention the day of their birth as “born after St. Demetrius’ Day,” “at threshing time,” “before grape-picking,” or “on Holy Virgin’s Day.”
People often named their children after saints, believing the saint would protect and bless the child. Over time, people associated the celebration of the saint’s feast day more with their name than with the saint.
Kickstarter
As Nelly and I gear up for our next Kickstarter campaign for a special edition of our book Light Love Rituals, we’ll be posting about Bulgarian rituals and customs. The book takes you through the calendar year, detailing 17 popular holidays. You’ll discover how the days are celebrated, their origins, plus a walk through the holiday with a fictional family. Included in the book are children’s activities, quizzes, fun facts, and a dozen of Nelly’s own tasty recipes to try.
This special edition of the book, which will launch April 16, 2024, is in celebration of the ten years Nelly and I will have been publishing books together. The content will be expanded from the version that’s already published and won’t be available in any of the major retail stores. We’re also making the book extra special by adding gold foil to the cover and sprayed edges. A true collectible book. Well-known Bulgarian artist, Keazim Issinov’s paintings will be used to illustrate the holidays as well as the cover. We’re planning other special rewards as well.
Please follow our campaign to get updated the moment we go live:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ronesa-aveela/light-love-rituals?ref=4tofit
