Editing May Day (section)

=== Bulgaria ===
{{unsourced section|date=May 2025}}
On May Day, [[Bulgarians]] celebrate Irminden (or Yeremiya, Eremiya, Irima, Zamski den). The holiday is associated with snakes and lizards and rituals are made in order to protect people from them. The name of the holiday comes from the prophet [[Jeremiah]], but its origins are most probably pagan.

It is said that on the days of the [[Forty Martyrs of Sebaste|Holy Forty]] or [[Annunciation]] snakes come out of their burrows, and on Irminden their king comes out. Old people believe that those working in the fields on this day will be bitten by a snake in summer.

Western Bulgarians light fires, jump over them and make noises to scare snakes. Another custom is to prepare "podnici" (special clay pots made for baking bread).

This day is especially observed by pregnant women so that their offspring do not catch "yeremiya"—an illness due to evil powers.