Panagia

   In the middle of August – on August 15th – is “Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin Mary” and Kyustendil celebrates Panagia – The Raising of the Bread.

This festival is connected with spiritual culture of the Orthodox population of the town. 

   Panagia is the name by which the Holy Virgin Mary is called, the ritual of making and breaking of the bread, of breaking it into two pieces and eating it together. Panagia is the practice of Christ and the apostles of the ancient sacred parish, passed through time and different cultures and preserved by our ancestors and brought to our time. Panagia are medallions with the image of the Virgin Mary which priests carry. Churches, fortresses and even cities are given the name Panagia.

   On the festival “Panagia – the Raising of the Bread”, separate elements and fragments of the concept are gathered and arranged for this thematic holiday, all of which carry the name Panagia: An artistic open air painting session and an iconography exhibition, called Panagia; the presentation of the loaves of bread, called Panagia, the music is, called Panagia, and the ritual is devoted to Panagia.

   On this holiday there is an iconography exhibition and a display of ritual breads.