site.btaBulgaria Honours Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on Traditional Holiday of Babinden

On January 21, Bulgaria celebrates Babinden, or Midwives’ Day, according to the old-style calendar.

A traditional hand-washing ritual was held at the Maichin Dom obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in Sofia. Dona Manova, a young mother, washed the hands of Prof. Asen Nikolov, a long-serving doctor at the hospital.

In Nikolov’s words, the Babinden holiday is the mother’s tears of joy when she embraces her newborn child, and the smile of the doctors and midwives, who are endlessly happy that every birth ends successfully.

Mothers who had given birth in Maichin Dom in recent days washed the hands of senior midwives Rumyana Savova and Valya Vasileva.

Priest Nikolay Penev from the Forty Holy Martyrs Monastery in Katina conducted a water blessing for health and well-being.

In a Facebook post, outgoing Health Minister Silvi Kirilov extended greetings to obstetricians, gynaecologists, neonatologists and healthcare specialists.