The memory of St. Stefan )Saint Stephen), the first Christian martyr, is venerated by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on December 27.

The troparion performed in honour of St. Stefan reads:

“Because of all you have endured for Christ our God,

you have been given a royal crown,

O First and Holy Martyr Stephen!

You have put your persecutors to shame

and have seen your Saviour enthroned

at the right hand of the Father.

Do not cease to intercede for the salvation of our souls.”

As recorded in the life of the saint, Stephen was diligent in the church service, a model of mercy and patience. He was among the first seven deacons ordained by the first apostles. Like Christ and his disciples, he could work miracles by laying his hands on the sick and they were healed. He was one of the most zealous followers of the doctrine and with his words and deeds he converted more and more people to Christianity. The Jewish leaders decided to prevent this. They slandered Stephen, set the crowd against him, and summoned him to the Sanhedrin. In defense of the faith, he quarrelled with the leaders, accusing them of killing the Savior. Enraged by his words, they took him out of the city, where he was stoned to death. All the while, the archdeacon prayed to Christ to receive his spirit. This happened in the 37^th year of the new calendar. Among the fiercest in the crowd was a young man named Saul, who later converted to Christianity and became a zealous preacher, the Apostle Paul. According to the legend, the Mother of God and John the Theologian prayed for Stephen, watching his martyrdom from afar. Dying, the saint turned to the Lord to forgive his enemies.

In Greek, the name Stephen means "wreath". It is believed that the name of the saint is a translation of the Aramaic Kelil (kelila - wreath, crown). According to legend, when the relics of the saint were discovered, a plaque with the name Kelil was found in the tomb, which leads many researchers to believe that this is the birth name of the saint.

St. Stephen is the patron saint of many Bulgarian temples, including one of the shrines of the Bulgarian struggle for church independence - the Iron Church "St. Stephen" in Istanbul.

There are no special rituals in the folk tradition performed on St. Stephen's Day, at least in the works of the first Bulgarian ethnographers, which to this day serve as a starting point in the study of the traditional Bulgarian system of rituals. Nevertheless, St. Stephen's Day is greeted with a festive meal, mandatory in the homes of those named after the saint. And today they are: Stefan, Stefana, Stefka, Venko, Stoyan, Stoyko, Stoichko, Stoimen and all their derivative names. A bright and blessed holiday to all!

Compiled by Albena Bezovska