The Church celebrates the memory of the holy martyr Tryphon today. Thousands drink for their name day, celebrate people named Tryphon, Radko, Racho, Lozan, Grozdan, Veselin, Vesko and their female derivatives.
The saint's name is of Greek origin and means "softness, tenderness, delicacy".
St. Tryphon was born in 225 AD. into a family of poor Christians in the Asia Minor part of the Roman Empire. At the age of 17, he healed the daughter of the Roman Emperor Gordian, thereby earning him great fame.
Saint Tryphon lived a righteous life and died a martyr for his faith in Christ. During the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius Trajan, who ruled from 249 to 252, Tryphon was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to be beheaded. Just before his head was cut off, he prayed that death would come to him more quickly, bowed his head, and died.
In 1968, after the introduction of the Gregorian calendar by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the dates of church holidays were shifted. Thus, the memory of the Holy Martyr Tryphon began to be celebrated on February 1, and the Day of the Winegrower - on February 14.
Triphon's Day is included in a cycle of three consecutive days, called Trifuntsi - February 1, 2, 3. Triphon's Day is celebrated on February 1, on February 2 - the Presentation of the Lord, and on February 3 - Saint Simeon.
According to Bulgarian folk traditions, Saint Tryphon is the patron saint of winegrowers, winemakers and innkeepers.
On this day, a ritual pruning of the vineyards is performed. The custom dictates that the mistress of the house should get up early and bake ritual bread, decorated with a vine leaf. A chicken is also boiled, and the best wine is poured into a wineskin. Everything is placed in a colorful bag and with it the owner heads to the vineyard. In the vineyard, each owner turns to the sunrise and crosses himself three times. Then he cuts off the first three branches and pours red wine, holy water, and ashes that he has kept since Christmas Eve. The vines are sprinkled with holy water and blessed for fertility and abundance.