Bulgaria marks national, religious and seasonal holidays — from Liberation Day on 3 March and Independence Day on 22 September to the springtime “Baba Marta” and the winegrowers’ “Trifon Zarezan”. Below are the dates grouped by season, with a short note on each.
Bulgaria's calendar combines national commemorations, Orthodox Christian observances and seasonal traditions. Many customs were preserved through centuries of Ottoman rule and later adapted to modern public life.
Below are several widely observed dates. Not every date is a statutory public holiday, and official non-working days should be checked for the relevant year.
National Holidays and Commemorations
Date
Holiday
March 3
Liberation Day of Bulgaria. Commemorates Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule.
May 6
Bulgarian Armed Forces Day and St George's Day. The date has both military and religious significance. It honours the armed forces and Saint George.
May 24
Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Bulgarian Education and Culture, and the Slavonic Alphabet. Honours Saints Cyril and Methodius and Bulgaria's literary and educational traditions.
September 6
Day of the Unification of Bulgaria. Commemorates the 1885 unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia.
September 22
Independence Day of Bulgaria. Celebrated in honor of complete independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908.
November 1
National Revival Leaders' Day. The day honours educators, writers, clergy and revolutionaries associated with Bulgaria's national revival.
Interesting fact: Veliko Tarnovo is a central location for Independence Day ceremonies. In this city in 1908, the manifesto of independence was read out.
Summer
Date
Holiday
June 1
Children's Day.
June 2
Hristo Botev Day. Commemorates revolutionary poet Hristo Botev and others who died for Bulgaria's freedom.
Autumn
Date
Holiday
September 15
First day of school.
October 26
Dimitrov Day. An Orthodox feast day associated in folk tradition with the transition into winter.
October 31st
Halloween is observed informally in some places; it is not the same as All Saints' Day and is not a Bulgarian public holiday.
Winter
Date
Holiday
December 25
Christmas Day.
January 1
New Year.
February 14
Trifon Zarezan, a winegrowers' tradition often observed on 14 February.
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