Church of Agia Barbara

Every year on the 4th of December, the feast day of Saint Barbara, patroness of Drama and patroness of Artillery, religious and cultural events take place in the city of Drama. In the small church in the area of ​​the same name, next to the lake where the ruins of the first church are still preserved at the bottom of the lake, thousands flock to worship its image.

The name of the area is connected to the church of Agia Varvara. The current church was built in 1920 above the pond. Its high bell tower is reflected in the bottom of the waters, in the place where the old church is said to have been.

Tradition still preserves the legends surrounding the building of the church. During Byzantine times there was a small church in the place where the lake is today. The Turks, when they occupied the city in 1380, demolished it and tried to build a mosque in its place. However, with the miracle of Saint Barbara, on her feast day the area was flooded and the building was never completed. The inhabitants considered it a miracle of the Saint – whom they declared Patron Saint of the city – establishing since then every eve of her feast day, on December 4, the following custom: many young girls of the town went on the eve of the feast to the vespers which was held after it had fallen at dusk, candles were lit on the eastern wall of the lake. As long as the candles were burning, the young girls prayed for health and a good “luck”, since Saint Barbara, in addition to being the patroness of the Artillery, was also the patroness of the girls who protected them from tongue-eating and helped their lucky marriages. Many of the young girls even placed lighted candles on small wooden boards and threw them into the lake. Then they expressed their wishes and, depending on the course of the board with the candles, they came true. They considered it a failure if they blew out the candles, but this did not scare them so much, since they had the hope that that night the Saint would appear in their sleep and fulfill their wishes. The next day, on the day of the celebration and close to the harama, the young girls gathered again in the lake and after washing with the waters that they believed had been sanctified by the Saint from the previous night, they greeted each other and gave wishes to each other. Then they attended the Divine Liturgy and when leaving, they took with them in a special vessel, some of the holy water of the lake.

Today, this custom is continued by dozens of children of the city. On the eve of the celebration, boats decorated with candles are thrown into the pond. There is even a competition and the best of them is awarded.

Also, on the evening of the eve of the feast of the Patroness, i.e., on December 3rd every year, the Holy Icon of Saint Barbara is paraded from the eponymous church to the main streets of the city. On this day, the traditional “barvara” (sweet soup cooked by the housewives of Drama every year) is offered.