The Cherry All Souls’ Day and the Whitsunday

The Saturday before the Whitsunday is called by Bulgarians the Spas’ or the Cherry All Souls’ Day. On that day the Orthodox Church commemorates all the faithful departed by serving a special Mass. The day is related to the believe that the souls departing from the body after the Holy Thursday, are gathered. It is believed that the faithful on the earth can help them by prayers and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass. The traditional Bulgarian table includes boiled wheat, bread, wine, fruit and other dishes that must be handed out. The Whitsunday is one of the greatest feasts of the universal Church, commemorating the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ.