December 5, the Eastern Orthodox Church dedicates to the saint St. Sava the Consecrated, who built many monasteries and hospitals at the end of his life.
In Bulgarian legends, however, Sava is most often represented as a saint – the patroness of the plague. The Bulgarian thinks that she is the sister of Varvaraand her brother is St. Nikola, whose holiday is celebrated a day later – on December 6. In some places, they celebrate the holiday as a saint – a man who is the patron saint of wolves (wolf shepherd).
Ritual practices are similar to those for St. Varvarabecause the two sisters prepare everything for their brother’s day Nikola. “Varvara boil, Sava bakes, Nikola he comes with the big spoon and invites guests.” – says the folk tale.
Sava is also associated with fertility, so on this day childless brides performed a ritual together with the oldest woman in the household.
The woman who wanted a child made ceremonial bread. She began sifting flour with a sieve turned upside down, and the oldest woman said to her, “Turn the sieve upside down, child, so that your stomach turns.”
Our ancestors were in awe of St. Sava because they believed that he “sows” diseases in people, hence the expression “Varvara welds diseases, and Sava scatters them.’
On Savinden, the Nikulden table is prepared, and in some places it is prepared in honor of the dead boiled wheat and they give it to cemeteries for remembrance.
Sava, Savka, Savina, Vladislava, Vladislava, Slavka, Slavcho, Sabi, Desislava, Desislav have a name day.
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