Exaltation of the Holy Cross
27 September 2026 — Peace and light to you on this quiet feast day.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, known in Bulgarian as Krastovden, is observed on 14 September. Churches that follow the old-style (Julian) calendar, such as the Serbian and Russian, keep it on 27 September. According to Christian tradition, in the 4th century St Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, found the cross of the Crucifixion in Jerusalem. It was then raised up so that the faithful could see it, which gave the feast its name. The day is a strict fast. In many Orthodox churches, sprigs of basil are handed out after the service, linked to the tradition of the cross's discovery. In Bulgarian folk custom, Krastovden also marks a turning point between the seasons: summer gives way to autumn, and in the folk calendar it marks the start of preparations for autumn sowing. In the sky, the feast comes about a week before the autumn equinox (22–23 September), when day and night become equal. Because this is a solemn church feast, a symbol rather than a cheerful character passes by: a cross of shining points and basil.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver cross made of luminous dots and fine connecting lines, like a constellation drifting slowly across the night sky
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