ATANASOVDEN (St. Athanasius Day) - January 18

St.St.Constantine and Helena's Day is the most important religious holiday for the nestinars. It is usually celebrated on 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd of May. The whole month is named after it - "St.Constantine's Month" (or "St. Kostadin's Month"). The residents of Bulgari and the neighboring villages still celebrate it according to the old calendar. For the last three decades the celebrations have been held only for two days (3rd and 4th of June), though it is known that they have to continue for three days.As it was mentioned, the holiday is also called "panagyr". It belongs to the spring-summer cycle - and is one of the numerous gatherings in Strandzha Mountain.

Usually the village gathering and the patron saint's day coincide. They take an important place in the traditional culture of the Orthodox population in Southeastern Europe. Their religious significance is being gradually displaced by economic importance, especially in the big settlements and centers. Most often besides the church mass, the basic elements are the family offering gatherings, family reunions, "horo" dances and markets. Common village offering gatherings are seldom organized. However, in the remote mountain regions, far from the town centers and thoroughfares, these holidays have jealously kept their religious importance. Such an area is the inner part of Strandzha Mountain.

Guests, coming from other villages attend the fairs there. Offering gatherings are also held, and "horo" dances are also performed. So far no significant difference in the characteristic features of fairs can be traced; not only among the Bulgarian, but also among any other Orthodox nations from Southeastern Europe. The gatherings and fairs provide the precious opportunity for an exchange of traditions and habits. That exchange is of crucial importance for the preservation of special ethnographic areas.

In Strandzha Mountain the fairs ("panagyrs") are usually organized in summer. The winter patrons - St. Athanasius and St. Nicholas used to be celebrated, especially in the nestinar villages. But the most revered saint patrons are: St.St.Constantine and Helena, St.Elias, St.Marina, St. Pantaleimon/Pantaleon, The Great Virgin Mary, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Trinity, St.John the Baptist, St.George and St.Demetrius. The "panagyrs" in Strandzha Mountain do not bear the names of the villages (e.g 'the gathering/fair of the village of…), but those of saints (e.g "the panagyr of St.Marina).

The nestinars perform their rituals one the days of their revered patron saints. Those are:
• St. Nicholas' Day - in winter (6^th Dec.)
•St. Modestus' Day (18^th Dec.)
•St. Basil the Great's Day; The Circumcise of Jesus (1^st Jan.)
•St. John the Baptist's Day (7^th Jan.)
•St. Athanasius' Day (18^th , 19^th and 20^th Jan.)
•St. Eutimius' Day (20^th Jan - the last day of the St. Athanasius' ritual)
•Easter
•1st May - Opening and cleaning of the sacred spring (ayasma/agiasma) of St.St. Constantine and Helena
•2nd May - The same ritual
•Holiday (panagiros/ panair) on "The Great Ayasma" (agiasma) - one week before St.St. Constantine and Helena's Day
•St.George's Day (6^th May)
•St.St. Constantine and Helena's Day (21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd May or 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th of June)
•The Ascension Day, Spasovden (40 days after Easter)
•St. Trinity (50 days after Easter)
•St. Spirit (Monday after St. Trinity)
•The Birth of St. John the Baptist, Enyo's Day (24^th June)
•St. Marina's Day (17^thJuly)
•St. Elias' Day (20^th July or 2^nd Aug)
•St. Pantaleon's/Pantaleimon's Day (27^th July)
•The Transifuguration Day (6^th Aug.)
•The Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The " Great" Virgin Mary (15^th Aug.)
•St. Demetrius' Day (26^th Oct.)


The above calendar, compiled on the basis of numerous records and accounts, had served for some conclusions that are already accepted but new ones can be added as well.
As it can be seen the year is halved by the most sacred nestinar holidays. They are, as follows: the three-day celebration of the patrons St. St. Constantine and Helena in spring time, and the three-day winter holiday (coinciding with St.Athanasius' Day and St.Eutimius Day). It should be mentioned, that in summer, dances on embers are also performed on some other days, such as: Enyo's Day (the Birth of St. John the Baptist), St.Marina's Day, St.Elias' Day, St.Pantaleimon's Day, but the rituals last only a day. In winter the dances are performed on embers taken from the holy fire in the central nestinar sanctuary (called "the konak"). In spring and summer the nestinars dance in the open.

Ritualism takes a central position in the calendar. The rites are enacted at "The Big Ayasma". As the name suggests, the place had not been named after a saint patron. It is also the common venue for all nestinars who live in the interior of Strandzha Mountain. The most thorough version of the calendar has been registered in Greece among the immigrant nestinars. They have never forgotten the tradition, though initially it was kept a secret. Their gathering in "the konak" on Transfiguration Day (The Appearance of Jesus Christ before his disciples Peter, Jacob and John) can be interpreted as a new element, but in general there are no other fluctuations from the Bulgarian calendar. Another significant fact should be underscored here, that the nestinars (either Greek or Bulgarian) do not celebrate Christmas (The Birth of Jesus Christ).

The nestinar calendar can be constructed and defined in one more way. It divides the year into two according to the positions of the sun. In winter all rituals, including fire dancing, are performed during the first days when daytime gradually becomes longer after the winter solstice - St.Basil the Great's Day (The Circumcise of Jesus), St.Athanasius' Day, St. Eutimius' Day. In the spring-summer period, in accordance with the particular religious holidays, the rites are strictly kept to on the days before and during the summer solstice until the autumn equinox. During the spring equinox on the first Monday after Shrovetide (the first Sunday before Lent) the nestinars perform the ritual of the "mono-mummer' whose face is covered with ashes of straw. The nestinar "thiasus" (brotherhood) does not gather in the period from the autumn equinox to the winter solstice.

The nestinar two-cycle calendar is based on the personification of the Son, but that is not Jesus Christ. It is "The Svetok" (St. Constantine). The Son and his Great Goddess Mother are deeply revered. The nestinar icons bear the names and represent the images of St. Constantine, St. Helena and St.Constantine's Mother. The female image has two hypostases - of "The Svetok's" Wife/Sister and "The Svetok's" Mother.Special attention should be paid to the so-called Enyo's Day commemorating the birth of St. John the Baptist; the Great Teacher who initiates one into the sacrament of baptism. Enyo's Day coincides with the Summer solstice and has the longest daylight time. The rituals, performed by the population of Strandzha Mountain, are among the oldest ones. They are initialized and feminized but they also express reverence for the Sun. It is believed that the Sun stole the virgin St.Marina who was gifted with the chaste conception. This is still the day on which curative herbs are picked up.

Nestinars can not be separated from the other Christians despite the differences in their worship. They are vehemently pious, consider themselves Christians and emphasize on that, they are more "Orthodox" than the others, even more than the clerics. They believe they are righteous men and their communication with God is the truest one.

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0130033/f2.html