GJURGJOVDEN (ST. GEORGE'S DAY)

Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George. George, Djuro, Gurga, Gjore, Ganka, Gancho, Ginka and others celebrate name day today.

It is celebrated by various Christian Churches and by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. Saint George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in 303 AD. For some of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (which use the Julian calendar), '23 April' currently falls on 6 May of the Gregorian calendar.

In Macedonian, St George's Day is called Gurgjovden (Cyrillic: Ѓурѓевден) and is celebrated on 6 May every year, as the Macedonian Orthodox Church uses the Julian, Old Style calendar. St George's Day is one of the most common Slavas (family patron day) among the Macedonians. Gurgjovden is also celebrated by both Orthodox and Muslim Romani and Muslim Gorani. Apart from being the Slava of many families, St George's Day is marked by morning picnics, music, and folk dances.

Feast of the Holy Great Martyr George known as St. George is considered the biggest spring holiday that celebrates not only Christian, but also the entire population in Macedonia, which means that in its base lies a great pre-christian holiday. Nature is celebrated, the awakening of vegetation and life in general.
Gjurgjovden belongs among fixed holidays with steady date. As a major holiday, St. George has been associated with Easter and in the folk songs is sang about their connection, about waking of nature and vegetation and the return of life from the idle winter period.
Icon is presented as Duke on a horse killing a dragon, which is situated under the hooves of the horse. And in legends is told and sang in songs that the saint actually killed the dragon which has done harm to many people. By killing the dragon, symbolically is presented the contribution of the saint in fighting and defeating negative demons.

Particularly important custom that is associated with St. George's is swinging and swaying on green plum trees, willow, apple and other trees. Anyone who is on the swing is holding a red egg, and in some areas still a silver object (usually ring), nettle, grass ogojka, lepaec and stone. Silver symbolizes durability (longevity) ogojka - fattening, rock - hardness and lepaec (sticking plant) is wore to stick girls to boys and boys to girlss and nettle according to folk beliefs possess magical powers.
When swinging, are sang songs appropriate to the age and position of the one who is swinging. Different songs are sang to small children and other to a girl or a boy, a different for a bride etc.