The Day of St. Spas is always celebrated on Thursdays, fourty days after Easter. According to Christian beliefs, after Christ was resurrected, he remained on Earth to spread his teachings and spend time with his pupils.

The Christian doctrine of the Ascension holds that Jesus ascended to heaven in the presence of his Eleven Apostles following his resurrection, and that in heaven he sits at the right hand of God the Father. With his Ascension, the act of “spasenie” (the saving) of humanity is complete, and thus the day is called Spasovden.

In the national calendar, the four thursdays after Easter are honoured to prevent hailstorms, and the last of them – Spasovden – is related to the cult of the dead.

According to traditional beliefs, the souls of all dead that were loose since the Easter are reaped on that day. Other beliefs included the return of fantastical creatures on the 40th day of Easter.