Veles Festival February 11

During the festival, prayers are offered to Veles for the protection of livestock and health by sacrificing milk. An important part of the holiday is a feast held near the place of worship (e.g. a temple), during which it is strictly forbidden to eat veal. The main dish consumed during the Veles festival is groats richly seasoned with fat. The celebrations are often accompanied by the organization of ritual fights.

In Christian folk rituals, the feast of Veles corresponds to the day of St. Blaise. In the Orthodox tradition, St. Blaise is the protector of livestock and his feast falls on February 11/24; he is also believed to prevail over Winter-Morana. In the Catholic tradition, Blaise is the patron saint of throat diseases and on his feast day, apples and candles are blessed to protect against these diseases. Pieces of apples sacrificed on St. Blaise's Day were also formerly given to livestock.