Date and public holiday status
Culture and Literacy Day is celebrated every year on 24 May. It is an official public holiday and non-working day in Bulgaria under Article 154 of the Labour Code. If it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next working day is a substitute day off.
In 2026, 24 May falls on a Sunday, so Monday, 25 May is the substitute day off.
Saints Cyril and Methodius
The holiday honours Saints Cyril and Methodius, the brothers who created Glagolitic, the first Slavic alphabet, around 855–863. They used it to translate books for church services, laying the foundations of Slavic literary culture.
Their disciples continued this work. Welcomed to Bulgaria by Prince Boris I, they established the Preslav and Ohrid literary schools. It was there that Cyrillic, the alphabet used in Bulgaria today, took shape.
From school celebration to national holiday
The first known observance as a school holiday took place in Plovdiv in 1851, at the initiative of Nayden Gerov. During the Bulgarian National Revival, 24 May became a celebration of Bulgarian education and culture.
Its official name today honours the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture, and Slavic literary heritage.
How Bulgaria celebrates
Across the country, pupils, teachers and cultural figures take part in processions. Children carry flowers, and portraits of the two saints are decorated with wreaths. Schools, libraries and cultural institutions hold events to mark the day.
Celebrations feature the hymn Varvi, narode vazrodeni, with lyrics by Stoyan Mihaylovski. Institutions also present awards recognising contributions to education and culture.