In the ancient Roman solar calendar, the last month of summer is the sixth month of the year, called Sextilis. In the 1st c. BC it becomes the eighth month and with a decision of the Senate is renamed to August, in honor of Emperor Guy Octavian (63 BC – 14 AD), who received the title of August (dignified by the gods). This name is preserved until now. The Bulgarians call it glowing month.

 

1–12 August

Holiday: Makaveite (mack-a-vey-teh) (Makaveyan Days)

Early in the morning on that day the young women leave in the fields 20-30 spikes of wheat uncut, especially chosen for brada (beard). In folk mythology the beard is a symbol of “fertile wisdom”, probably because etymologically the word brada is a collective and originates from the root ber/bor– meaning ‘fruit, seed’. From it derives the word brasgno (flour). The same root is found in 39 names of wild plants. These are britza, the so-called bare wheat (for fodder), birnitza – wheat for bread with small grains, bosturand barduche – plants from whose roots we can produce flour and bread, etc. With brada comes the end of the harvest time. People gather around the 20-30 spikes left over from the first harvest, cut them and young women clean them from weeds and weave the spikes in a pleat which they tie with red thread. They add field flowers, garlic (against evil eyes) and a clean coin for prosperity. The ground around the decorated brada is dug out and some fresh water is poured in it. Then it is fed with pieces of bread in the four cardinal points. Then the young women start singing, all people put down the sickles and start dancing the horo. A ritual washing of hands and cutting of the brada by the most beautiful woman with a single blow follows. Then the harvesters head for their village saying goodbye to the field: “Goodbye, field, may next year be a bigger brada, richer crop and may we come to harvest you again!” On the way to the village the brada is carried by a young woman "who has a lover and will have a wedding in the autumn", so that the future bride and the village are lucky.
This cycle of holidays called Makaveyan Days lasts for 12 days. The first day – Egus, is celebrated mostly by women so that their fingers are “not eaten” by spinning. On this day the father-in-law summons his sons in-law to a festive table. After lunch, he taps on their back with a bag full of air. The sons-in-law scatter into the yard shouting out loud and walk about all corners to bring health and fertility to the cattle. If anyone works on this day, fire will burn his house or a wolf will eat his cattle.
The Makaveyan Days are related to folk meteorology. The old Bulgarians named the days between August 1 and August 12 to the months. The first day was September, the second was October, and so on until the 12th day, which was again August but on the following year. Watching the weather in each one of these 12 days, they believed they knew what the weather would be like for a year ahead.

 

6 August

Holiday: Preobrazhenie (pre-ob-raj-enie) (Transfiguration)

According to the beliefs, the night before the sky opens and God himself stands in the Pearly Gates. The one who sees him and makes a wish is going to see it come true. But to see God, a man must be pious. Bulgarians on that day pick grapes for the first time, take it to church to sanctify it and give it out for health and fertility during the next year. People say that when God created the grapes, the Devil made the blackberry, called by the people “devil’s grapes”. The Devil created it in such a way that it ripens earlier that the grapes. Nobody is supposed to eat blackberries on Transfiguration. The good Christian tastes first the fruit of God and only after that he can eat blackberries without fear. It is allowed to have fish for a meal at table.

 

15 August

Holiday: Golyama Bogoroditsa (go--lyama boe-go-roe-dee-tsa) (Assumption)
Nameday: Maria
Remind me

Assumption is a big folk holiday on which nobody works. People make KURBANI and the sick spend the night at holy places in order to get well. The first fruits are sanctified in church and are given out for health and prosperity – water melons, grapes, honey. “Till Virgin Mary’s Day straw turns into wheat, and after Virgin Mary’s Day – the wheat turns into straw!” Thus goes the folk saying and the VYRSHITBA (threshing) must be completed before Virgin Mary’s Day. Every household forms a threshing-floor in their yard which is traditionally round so evil forces cannot affect the house. In the middle of it, people set up the pillar – a thick post they tie the horses to during threshing. Then they bring the sheaves from the field and put an unmarried young woman in the first cart. She must not be in her monthly period so that the wheat remains clean. The man of the house feeds the oxen with sporniche (a type of herb) for fertility. The woman of the house throws well water in front of the cart using a bucket, decorated with sweet basil tied with a red thread, so that the wheat can flow like water on the threshing-floor. The new wheat is ground on Virgin Mary’s Day and ritual breads are made of it. It is believed that if it rains on this day, the next year will be very prosperous.
For the festive meal man kill an ewe, which is fed and incensed, like on St. George’s Day. The liver of the animal is boiled and brought to the church to be sanctified. The meat is prepared on a spit on open fire, then the neighbors exchange meat and banitsa for health, saying: “Let Virgin Mary help you!” In some villages the day is also celebrated for the health of the oxen and, as on St. Vlasius’ Day, the woman of the house decorates their horns with buns. Old legends warn not to touching anything red on this day to protect the cattle against bleeding and the young brides from barrenness. The festivities last till late at night.

 

26 August

Nameday: Adrian, Adriana, Natalia
Remind me

Adrian comes from the name of a Roman general and Natalia means 'by birth'.

 

27 August

On this day the houses are visited by a summer djamalo to bless the hard work of people that has put grains in the barns and has given hope for even a bigger harvest next year.

 

29 August

Holiday: Seknovenie (sec-no--veh-nee-eh) (Black Saint John)

People celebrate this day because it is “cut”, i.e. the day length equals that of the night. Water is also “cut” – it becomes colder and people must not bathe in the open. Old Bulgarians of the Varna region tell a story that on Seknovenie the snakes, the lizards and other reptiles return to their winter holes. Wood-nymphs, fairies, dragons and dragonesses also prepare for the winter. People must not start a new job on this day. Women do not cut not sew for it is believed that the dress cut or sown on this day is “black” and brings bad luck. The same is true of everything black and people, unless they are in mourning, do not wear black clothes on that day. They must not eat black grapes in order to be healthy. So they eat white grapes and drink white wine.