Bulgarian national and traditional holidays

The Bulgarians respect their national and traditional holidays. Usually these are celebrated within the family or with friends. All national holidays are non-working days. All administrative, banking and other offices are closed. Some shops may be open; restaurants and cafeteria are usually open. Bulgarians celebrate the following national holidays:

• 1st January – New Year Day; 
• 3rd March – Liberation Day;
• April or May – Easter holiday – Easter in Bulgaria is usually one week after the Catholic one. It’s date is changing according to the moon position every year;
• 1st May – Labour Day;
• 6th May – Saint George Day and the Official Holiday of the Bulgarian Army;
• 24th May – The Day of the Slavonic Alphabet and Culture;
• 6th September – The Union Day;
•  22nd  September – The Independence Day;
• 1st November – The day of the public cultural leaders (not exact translation!!! – this is the day of the people who contributed to Bulgaria Renaissance and to the country cultural, political and educational revival at different stages of the country history);
• 24th December – Budni Vecher – the day before Christmas
• 25th December – Christmas Eve;
• 31st December and 1st January – New Year’s Eve (on the 2nd of January people usually already start working and offices open (if nothing else is agreed or settled by each separate office), providing it is not Saturday or Sunday).