When a weekend holiday gives an additional day off
Under Article 154(2) of the Labour Code, when a public holiday falls on Saturday and/or Sunday, the first one or two working days afterwards are non-working days. The Easter holidays are expressly excluded.
One public holiday on a weekend gives one additional day off; two give two. The rule refers to the next working day. If Monday is already a public holiday, the substitute day follows it. It is therefore incorrect to assume that a substitute day must always be a Monday.
The holiday itself keeps its original date. The additional non-working day is a consequence of the weekend overlap, rather than a change to the date of the celebration.
Why Easter is different
The statutory Easter break covers four days: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. The Saturday and Sunday within this period do not generate additional days off under Article 154(2).
Another public holiday falling on the same weekend, such as Labour Day, is considered separately. Any substitute day is due to that other holiday, rather than Easter. Consult the relevant annual calendar for the actual dates and overlaps.
The specific rule for 1 November
The Day of the National Awakeners is in the statutory list of public holidays, but its non-attendance status applies to educational institutions. It is not a general day off for everyone working in Bulgaria.
This status is distinct from school vacations or a separate order cancelling regular classes. Check the applicable timetable and official notices for arrangements at a particular school or workplace.
One-off days do not change the annual statutory list
Article 154(3) allows the Council of Ministers to declare other one-off non-working days. Such a declaration applies to the particular occasion and does not add a recurring annual holiday to the statutory list.
Once officially confirmed, these dates are included in the corresponding annual calendar. The former system of moving working days and making them up on Saturdays was repealed with effect from 1 January 2017.
Religious and professional observances are not automatically days off
A name day, religious feast or professional celebration does not by itself create a nationwide day off. Some church feasts, including Christmas and Easter, are expressly listed in the Labour Code, while others are not.
Annual calendars show statutory days off and weekends for a standard Monday-to-Friday working week. Shift workers and people on individual schedules should check their own arrangements. Use the relevant annual calendar when planning leave.