On the fourth day of Easter Sandanski celebrates its town holiday. This year for the celebration the municipality has provided as usual a rich program. More interesting, however, is the legend for which the southern Bulgarian city celebrated precisely in the first Thursday after Easter. The story is told from the Ottoman times.

According to it, the local ruler Ismail Bay forbade Christians in the city to celebrate the lightest holiday in the 19th century. Despite pleading he would not relent and forbidden to be celebrated in any way Easter in the city. Do not help even the intercession on behalf of his mother, who urged her son to allow the celebration.

Turkish ruler even hired security guards to make sure that his order is observed. On  Tuesday after Easter, however, Sandanska Bistritsa River overflowed and took away the entire property of the adamant Bay. Then the mother of the ruler stated that this adversity is a sign of God and to appease шге Lord must allow the Christians to celebrate Easter.

So one day later Bey issued a new order – Easter celebrations were allowed. So the  Christians celebrated the holy day on the fourth day after Easter. Since then Sandanski city celebrates its feast in the church “St. Cosmas and Damian”, the old monastery where according to legend, the population of the town beseeched the Bey to allow them to celebrate Easter.