Mitrovden: Orthodox faithful mark Saint Demetrios on November 8

The Orthodox Church this week celebrates Saint Demetrios, a feast widely known in the region as Mitrovden. The holiday has a fixed date and always falls on November 8. Name-day celebrants include: Dimitrija, Mitre, Dimo, Dimko, Dimana, Dimka, Mite, Dimitrina, Mitra.

Tradition places Saint Demetrios in Thessaloniki in the third century. He was the only son of the city governor. After his father's death the emperor Maximian appointed Demetrios to the same post and urged him to pursue Christians. Instead, Demetrios openly confessed and preached belief in the risen Christ.

Folk customs linked to Mitrovden

When the emperor learned of Demetrios's stance, returning from a campaign, he summoned him. Demetrios refused to renounce his faith and even argued against idolatry. Maximian became enraged, had Demetrios imprisoned and after several days executed him. Devout Christians later retrieved his body and buried it respectfully on that site.

Over time a small church and later a large one were erected at the burial place; that larger church still stands in Thessaloniki today and houses his myrrh-streaming relics.

Popular customs around Mitrovden stress staying at home on the holiday: it was believed that anyone who spends the night away from home on Mitrovden will spend the entire following year sleeping elsewhere. People also held that all major outdoor tasks — especially field work — must be finished before the night before Mitrovden, because winter might arrive suddenly and it is bad luck to postpone such tasks until after the feast.

In some areas an additional belief prevailed that children should not be scolded on Mitrovden, however badly they behaved, because scolding on that day was thought to make them disobedient for the whole year.

Photo: press material from the event