Balgarianovinite.com 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. Annual Blessing Ceremony for Military Colours Held on Epiphany in Sofia 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-06 12:26:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law