Ilyin’s day in Bulgaria is celebrated annually on July 20. It is dedicated to the Holy Prophet Elijah, who performed many great miracles to defeat pagan gods and convert people to Christianity.
By July 20, the inhabitants of the Bulgarian villages are trying to finish the harvest of wheat and the binding of vines. They are well aware that later it will be necessary to harvest grapes, corn, barley, etc., but Ilyin is a day of rest after finishing one hard work and before starting another. That is why on July 20, peasants try to relax and have fun, honoring the Holy Prophet.
Although Ilyin’s day is celebrated in some cities, the villagers especially like to celebrate it. On this day, it is customary to slaughter an ox or a ram, and then cook the meat on a spit. Some families also kill the oldest rooster from the chicken coop. Then a special soup is prepared, the main ingredient of which is offal. These dishes become part of a ritual dinner, moreover, they are prepared not only in houses, but also directly near the church at those hours when a special festive service is held in it.
Also, villagers prepare food with their entire families, gathering in a spacious meadow near the village. The festive dishes are blessed by the minister of the church, after which the peasants begin a solemn ritual dinner. On Ilyin’s day, it is customary to help everyone in need, so the villagers prepare food not only for themselves, but also for their poor neighbors or for the poor, asking for alms. On this holiday, everyone has fun, including the poor, and everyone can get enough of their fill. Often on Ilyin’s day relatives gather, including the most distant ones, and arrange special family celebrations.
Ilya the prophet was to some extent a replacement for Perun, the pagan thunder god, whom the Slavs had to renounce worship after the adoption of Christianity. That is why he attributed some features of Perun, among which the ability to command the heavenly elements. This was reflected in traditions: if the summer turned out to be hot and dry, on Ilyin’s day the Bulgarians arrange a special ceremony, begging the prophet to send rain, which would help to grow a good harvest.
