About the name Iliya / Elijah
Etymology & meaning
Iliya derives from the Hebrew Eliyahu (אֵלִיָּהוּ) — "the Lord is my God", from El ("God") and Yahu (a shortened form of the divine name). Through the Greek Ἠλίας it entered Bulgarian, giving Илия, Илиян, Илко and Илчо, with the feminine Илияна, Илина, Илиана and Илка.
History & patron saint
The patron is the holy prophet Elijah — the Old Testament prophet who, per the Bible, did not die but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. That image gave rise to the Bulgarian folk belief that thunder is the rumble of his chariot across the sky and lightning his arrows against evil. Ilinden (20 July) is therefore held to be the most thunderous day of the year, and by tradition no field work is done on it.
Traditions & customs
On Ilinden no work is done by tradition — whoever goes out to the fields is thought to risk hail or lightning. A kurban is prepared for health and shared with neighbours; in many regions a whole village kurban is held. The date also carries great historical weight: the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising broke out on this day in 1903, which makes it at once a name day and a national day of remembrance.
Popularity & notable bearers
Iliya is a traditional Bulgarian name in wide use, particularly strong in the south-west and in Macedonia, where Ilinden carries additional historical weight. Notable bearers include the artist and caricaturist Iliya Beshkov. The surnames Iliev and Ilchev are among the country's common ones.
Suitable gifts
As the day falls at the height of summer and is bound to rest from field work, gifts for leisure suit well — a book, a deckchair, something for the garden. A bottle of wine and an icon of the holy prophet Elijah remain the classics.