Name Day: Angel, Mihael, Raicho...

I'm a day behind, the name day for people named after the Archangels, aka Michaelmas, was yesterday. In Chiprovtsi, I was given cherpi'd with candy, led a scouts meeting, and taught adult English. A typical Tuesday. According to this website, which sends me reminders on namedays and explains their background, Archangel day is a special name day. 

This is pretty much directly from the website's explanation:

At the table, the oldest man breaks the bread in four places and pours wine on it from a clay bowl. The woman of the house catches this wine in her hands and sprinkles it around the house while praying: “Saint Archangel, Saint Nicholas and all saints, help us. We pay homage to you and cut the bread like a cross so that wheat grows up to the waist! This year what we could, and next year what we want! Now with a bowl, next year with the kettle!” 

Then she gives everybody a piece of the bread. The piece is taken with both hands and a blessing is said: “As much wheat in the piece of bread so much heaps of wheat and health in the house! Amen!”

It is important to celebrate Michaelmas and honor the Archangels, because Archangel Michael, it is believed can make a persons death quick and easy or long and suffering. If a person is smiling when they die, it is because Michael is handing them a golden apple before he takes their soul. If they're suffering, it is because he is late. 

I'm not exactly sure how this fits, but Rangel is one of six brothers who divided the world among themselves. Rangel received the land of the dead.