Public Holidays
January 1 - New Year
March 3 - National day of the Liberation from Ottoman Domination
Easter - Two days (Sunday and Monday) according to the Orthodox calendar
May 6 - St. George’s Day
May 24 - Day of the Bulgarian culture and the Slavonic script
September 6 - National Day of Bulgaria’s Reunion in the year of 1885
September 22 - Independence Day
November 1 - Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders
December 24-26 - Christmas Eve and Christmas
December 31 - New Year’s Eve
Carnivals and Festivals
Bulgarians have a number of different traditional ceremonies, festivals and holidays.
There are events dated centuries back, combining pagan with orthodox and folk elements.
The Kukeri Festival is celebrated on 11 January in the region of the towns of Pernik and Dupnitsa. The participants, named Kukeri, wear traditional masks and costumes and perform ancient dances to drive away the evil spirits. Similar festivals take place at other parts of the country like the Rodopi and Strandja mountains.
St. Trifon Zarezan on 14 February is an ancient festival of the wine growers.
Granny Marta’s Day is on 1 March. At this day people give each other martenitzi, little red and white tassels that are worn for health and happiness.
Festival of Roses is celebrated in early June in the town of Kazanlak.
Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival is dedicated to the authentic Bulgarian music.
Other folk festivals are celebrated also in Shiroka Luka, Rojen, the Pirin and Strandja Mountains. National Festival of Romany Songs and Music (July) is celebrated in the town of Stara Zagora.
The International Jazz Festival (8-13 August) takes place in the town of Bansko, one of the most popular winter resorts in Bulgaria.
Apolonia is a popular arts festival held in the middle of September in the town of Sozopol on the Black sea cost.