site.btaAnnual Blessing Ceremony for Military Colours Held on Epiphany in Sofia
Bulgarian Armed Forces' field flags, services' colours, and standards that were carried in crucial battles of the past, were sprinkled with blessed water during a ceremony in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in downtown Sofia on Epiphany, January 6.
President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Rumen Radev took the salute of representative military units. Wreaths and flowers were laid at the monument.
Among those attending the ceremony were National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan, Vice President Iliana Iotova, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev, outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, outgoing Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov, Chair of the parliamentary defence committee Hristo Gadzhev, Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, and MPs.
The Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), Patriarch Daniil, who is also Metropolitan of Sofia, officiated at the blessing of the waters, assisted by BOC priests.
This year, the flags, colours and standards used in the ritual were from 13th Rila Infantry Regiment, 15th Lom Infantry Regiment, 23rd Shipka Infantry Regiment, 30th Sheinovo Infantry Regiment, 6th Tarnovo Infantry Regiment, 24th Black Sea Infantry Regiment, 25th Dragoman Infantry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Regiment, the National Guard, the Rakovski National Defence College, Armed Units Nos. 44510 (Sofia), 22320 (Bozhurishte), 28860 (Gorna Malina) and 24900 (Vrazhdebna), and the Armed Services, the Defence Ministry said.
By tradition, Bulgaria's field flags, armed services' colours, and standards that were carried in crucial battles of the past, are sprinkled with blessed water every year on January 6. The ritual was first performed on field flags on the initiative of King Simeon I ahead of the Battle of Achelous (August 20, 917). Until Bulgaria fell under Ottoman Turkish rule in 1396, such a ceremony was conducted on the eve of every battle waged by Bulgarian troops. The tradition was revived in 1880, two years after the Bulgarians were liberated from Ottoman domination. The decision was made by the first war minister of the Principality of Bulgaria, Pyotr Parensov. It was then that the ceremony took place on the Christian feast day of Epiphany for the first time. It was held annually until 1946, after which the Communists banned it. The tradition was revived in 1993.
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