Date and public holiday status
St George’s Day falls on 6 May every year. Known in Bulgarian as Gergyovden, it is also the Day of Valour and the Bulgarian Armed Forces, bringing religious observance, family traditions and military commemorations together on the same date.
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.
Saint George and the season
The Orthodox Church honours Saint George the Great Martyr, one of Bulgaria’s most revered saints. According to tradition, he was a Roman soldier who refused to renounce his faith and died as a martyr. Icons show him on horseback, spearing a dragon as a symbol of good overcoming evil.
In the Bulgarian folk calendar, Gergyovden marks the beginning of the summer half of the year. Its customs are closely connected with spring, farming and shepherding.
Military commemorations
The military celebration was established in 1880, shortly after Bulgaria’s Liberation, and restored in 1993 after an interruption. In Sofia, observances include a military parade or ceremonial event, a blessing of military flags with holy water, and wreath-laying at memorials to the fallen.
Customs and name days
Traditionally, a lamb is slaughtered for the holiday, roasted whole and shared with relatives and neighbours. Other customs include young people rolling in the early-morning dew for health, decorating homes with green branches, hanging swings from trees and weighing themselves for good health. People also dance horo, a traditional group dance, in village squares.
Georgi, Gergana, Galya, Ginka, Ganka, Gosho, Genadi and people with related names celebrate their name day. This is one of Bulgaria’s most widely celebrated name days.