Meaning and date
Palm Sunday is a Christian church holiday known in Bulgaria as Tsvetnitsa, or Vrabnitsa. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the people welcomed him with palm branches. In Bulgaria, willow branches take the place of palms because willow is among the first trees to turn green in spring.
The date changes each year, always falling on the Sunday seven days before Orthodox Easter. Palm Sunday falls on 5 April in 2026, 25 April in 2027 and 9 April in 2028.
Willow branches and wreaths
Willow branches are blessed in churches and taken home by worshippers. They are used to decorate icons and entrance doors, and woven into wreaths for children. According to folk belief, the blessed willow protects the home from illness and evil forces throughout the year.
Palm Sunday also marks the end of lazaruvane, a traditional custom involving girls known as lazarki. In some regions, the girls float wreaths down a river to divine which of them will marry first.
Name day celebrations
Tsvetnitsa is one of Bulgaria’s most widely celebrated name days. It is the occasion for people whose names are associated with flowers and plants to celebrate. These include Tsvetan, Tsvetana, Tsvetelina, Roza, Liliya, Violeta, Kalina and Kameliya, among many others.
Public holiday status
Palm Sunday is not a public holiday or a day off in Bulgaria: it is a normal working day. Its church observances and name day celebrations do not change that status.