Tradition states, that the feast day of the St. Dimitar is said to be the day when the weather breaks and winter begins. According to traditional belief on this day the skies open up, after which we can expect the first snow. Dimitar is the patron saint of winter, cold, and snow.
St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki was a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century. He is an important saint for Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs, and Russians.
According to Christian mythology, St Dimitar, “master of frost and snow”, rides a red horse and the year’s first snowflakes fall from his white beard.
As a forerunner of winter, in popular beliefs, St. Dimitar is associated with the netherworld – the world of the dead and of the forefathers. The so-called Dimitrovska Zadushnitsa (All Souls’ Day) is on the Saturday preceding the St Dimitar Day.
The church holiday is in honor of the Holy Martyr St. Dimitar. Legend has it that he was born in the town of Thessaloniki. After the death of his father, he became chief of the town, accepted the Christian religion, and started teaching the residents of Thessaloniki that they should not believe and pray to idols but that they should open their hearts to Jesus Christ.
That was why Emperor Maximillian ordered that Dimitar was thrown in a dungeon. Even locked in prison, St. Dimitar continued spreading his faith among the people and because of that he was murdered – speared in the ribs. After some time, during the digging of a ditch, St. Dimitar’s holy remains, which radiated healing and fragrant “miro”, were discovered.
In the church songs, St. Dimitar is glorified as a martyr, a keeper of kings, a man who disapproved of wars, and a harbor for those seeking help. These last images of Saint Dimitar find their own place in the folklore rituals.
On that day people who bear the name Dimitar, Dimitrina, Mitko, or Dimo traditionally host great parties and, joined by their friends, celebrate their Name’s Day.