24 May is one of the brightest Bulgarian national holidays. On this date, we celebrate the Day of St Cyril and Methodius, the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture, as well as Slavic literacy.
24 May, also known as the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the Feast of the Letters, is the day on which we mark the creation of the first Bulgarian alphabet – the Glagolitic script, by the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius in 864, their disciples’ contribution to the spread of the word and Orthodox Christianity, as well as the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet at the end of the 9th century.
Here is some information about the upcoming events regarding 24 May:
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The official program for 24 May will begin with the traditional parade at 10:30 am, starting from the square in front of the National Archaeological Museum. It will continue along Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard and Vasil Levski Boulevard, reaching the National Library “St. Cyril and St. Methodius.” An official ceremony will begin at 11:00 am in front of the monument to St. Cyril and St. Methodius.
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On 24 May, the Sofia Municipality announces free entry to municipal museums and galleries.
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The “Let’s Read” initiative will transform Slaveykov Square into an unconventional cultural stage on 24 May. The event will take place from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.
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The Ministry of Tourism will celebrate 24 May with a special event on “Saborna” Street in Sofia. From 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, the street will transform into a lively space of language, knowledge, Bulgarian culture, and literacy.
The program includes reading children’s books, an educational quiz on the topic “I Love Bulgaria” with prizes from the platform “Knigovishte” and certificates from the Ministry of Tourism. In the children’s workshop with Glagolitic symbols, the youngest visitors will have the opportunity to color letters from the Glagolitic alphabet and create magnets with messages. Each child will also receive a special chart from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) showing the visual correspondence between Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts.
There will also be a photo booth with backgrounds featuring Bulgarian landmarks, where visitors can take a souvenir photo. Thanks to a partnership with Storytel, visitors will receive vouchers for audiobooks.
