On January 17th we celebrate St. Anthony’s day, which is a minor ecclesiastical feast day paying tribute to Anthony the Great. According to the national customs and beliefs, St. Anthony and St. Athanasius are Lords and Masters of Plague and other epidemic diseases. This day is associated with the prevention of different diseases but most of all of the plague. The celebration is also known to the Bulgarians as Aunts’ day or Plague’s day.

The Bulgarian belief is that precisely on this day Plague was born and that is why the two brothers are often called Fathers of Plague. In the folklore they are pictured as blacksmiths (sometimes as cutlers or ironmongers) and are the patrons of the blacksmiths and the ironmongers.

On St.Anthony’s day it is forbidden for women to work – they do not spin, knit or sew so as not to awaken the plague and the measles. Beans, lentils, maize or any legumes are not served on the festive table in order to prevent the children from getting ill.

On this day celebrate the names: Anton, Antonia, Antonina, Antoaneta, Tonia, Tonka.