Meaning and observance
Good Friday, known in Bulgarian as Razpeti petak, is the day of Holy Week when the Orthodox Church remembers the suffering, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is the saddest day of the church year and is observed quietly, without festivities or music.
It is also the day of the strictest fasting. Believers abstain from food until evening or take only bread and water.
Public holiday and dates
Good Friday is an official public holiday and non-working day in Bulgaria under Article 154 of the Labour Code. It begins the four-day Easter holiday period, with days off from Good Friday through Easter Monday.
The date changes each year, always falling two days before Orthodox Easter. Good Friday falls on 10 April in 2026, 30 April in 2027 and 14 April in 2028.
Church services and the burial shroud
The Royal Hours are read in the morning. During afternoon vespers, the plashtanitsa, a cloth depicting Christ laid in the tomb, is brought out from the altar and placed in the centre of the church, adorned with flowers.
The evening service commemorating Christ’s burial is followed by a procession around the church. Worshippers then traditionally pass beneath the table holding the shroud for health. In many churches, people stay late to venerate it.
Folk traditions
In folk tradition, Good Friday is a day when no work is done: sewing, washing clothes and digging are avoided. In some areas, households dye Easter eggs on Friday, although Holy Thursday is the more usual day for this custom.