Bulgarian Orthodox Church Honours Ascension Day, as well as the memory of the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helena, Equal to the Apostles

Today, May 21, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Great Sovereigns Constantine and Helena, Equal to the Apostles.

Constantine (274–337) ruled in Rome and Byzantium – Constantinople. During his reign, in 313 AD, freedom of the Christian faith was proclaimed.

His mother, Helena, built several monasteries in the lands where Jesus Christ had lived and is also credited with discovering the Cross upon which the Son of God was crucified. This event is regarded as one of the most significant in the history of the Christian Church, and for this reason Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena were canonised as saints.

The Orthodox Church also celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of Christ, known in Bulgarian as Spasovdenof, a movable feast observed exactly 40 days after Easter.

The Ascension of Christ marks the completion of the act of human salvation, which is why the day is known as Spasovden (from "spasenie" – salvation).

Name days are celebrated today by those bearing the names Elena, Eliana, Eleana, Eleonora, Konstantin, Kostadin, Spas, Spasena, Spasimir, Spasimira, Spasiyana and Spaska.

Happy feast day!