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Byala Residents Celebrate St.Athanasius Day During COVID-19

Priest Ventsislav Tachev preparing for the service on St.Athanasius Day at cape St. Athanas. In the past 6 years, the tradition of celebrating Saint Athanasius day on 2 of May was resumed in Byala after more than 50 years of interruption. The saint is believed to be patron of the cape and even maybe of the late antiquity basilica found by archaeologists there. Traditionally, residents of the city carry the icon of the saint for several kilometres - from the center of Byala to the basilica, discovered within the limits of the late antique fortress of Cape St. Atanas. This year, because of the measures for the non-proliferation of the coronavirus, the celebration was held in the presence of only Father Ventsislav Tachev, who serves in the temple of Byala and officials. The Orthodox Church honors St. Athanasius twice a year - on January 18 - the day he was last proclaimed bishop of Alexandria and on May 2 - the day of his death. Historical evidence from the late 19th century indicates that in Byala, the saint was honored on May 2, with families gathering to celebrate exactly in the area where archaeological discoveries were made in 2009. Since 2014, the late antique fortress in Byala has become a tourist attraction and is open to visitors, Byala, Bulgaria on May 02, 2020 (Photo by Hristo Rusev/NurPhoto)

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