About the name Serafim / Seraphim
Etymology & meaning
Serafim comes from the Hebrew seraphim — "the burning, fiery ones", the angels nearest God's throne in the prophet Isaiah's vision. As a personal name it spread through the Greek Σεραφείμ.
History & patron saint
On 2 January the Orthodox world honours Saint Seraphim of Sarov — the 18th–19th-century Russian elder and wonderworker, one of Orthodoxy's most beloved saints, who greeted everyone with "My joy, Christ is risen". His memory gathers Bulgaria's Serafims.
Traditions & customs
The name day comes at the year's very start — treats often merge with New Year visits. Greetings wish fiery faith and a warm heart, after the name's sense.
Popularity & notable bearers
Serafim is rare in Bulgaria but warm in sound, familiar from Yordan Yovkov's story "Serafim" — one of Bulgarian literature's most beloved images of quiet goodness.