The birth of John the Baptist and Eniovden - a double holiday for Orthodox Christians

The Orthodox Church will honor on June 23, 2025 the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, which is marked in the church calendar as †† and coincides with the folk holiday of Enyovden, which is celebrated on June 24. In many parishes in Bulgaria, including the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Sofia, special services, prayer readings, and blessings of medicinal herbs will be held, reproducing the traditional practices associated with Enyovden.

Worshippers are expected to participate in small talks and water blessings, where the intertwining of folk beliefs and Orthodox faith around the holidays will be discussed. The focus will be on spiritual and physical purification, hope, health, and well-being for the coming season.