Black Friday

This day (called also lame, deaf, dry or mad Friday) is the worst and the most dangerous day in this week. It is forbidden to work in order to protect people from illness and the harvest - from dryness and thunderstorms and hail. It is believed that this day is the leader of twelve "bad" Fridays in the year - just like the Monday is the leader of all Mondays in the year - I don't know what it means, I just picture the day, looking fierce, leading a gang of days... But everything is over tomorrow - Todorov den. It is the day of the horses, grooms, herds... I just love horses, so I'm going to write something longer and more interesting tomorrow, I hope :)
So today women don't wash or comb themselves, they don't touch any spindles.
All the ritualism of this week is related to numerous prohibitions and rites concerning mainly women. This is the first week of the Long Lent. The main idea is - this is a period of disturbed harmony, it's hostile and impure, evil spirits are unleashed - this is chaotic period the world needs to go through in order to pass from winter to summer. Many parallels with Dionis feasts can be built. The rites are clearly pagan and the last holiday - Todorov den - is a mixture of paganism and Christianity.
All the rites aim at ensuring and preserving the fertility during this transitional period. That's why people imagine saint Todor as a beneficial cultural hero, who destroys the chaos and recreates the world, in the beginning of the new cycle.
But there's a lot to be told about the saint, so - tomorrow :)