Saint George's Day

On May 6th, Bulgarians commemorate St. George's Day, a significant occasion intertwined with the nation's history and traditions. Renowned as the "Day of Courage of the Bulgarian Army," this holiday pays tribute to the valor and bravery exemplified by Saint George, a revered figure in both religious and cultural contexts.

In a departure from tradition, Bulgaria has announced the cancellation of the annual military parade featuring equipment and personnel on May 6, the Day of Courage and the Bulgarian Army. The decision was communicated by the Acting Minister of Defense, Atanas Zapryanov, citing the overlap of the Easter holidays with St. George's Day and the Day of Courage and the Bulgarian Army.

The Orthodox Church commemorates one of the most revered saints, the great martyr George the Victorious.

On St. George's Day, more than 220,000 Bulgarians have a name day, and Georgi (George) is the most common male name in Bulgaria. Nearly 152 thousand people in the country have it.

The paid parking zones in the capital will not work during the holidays - from today (22.04.) to April 25 incl., the Center for Urban Mobility announced.

Parking in the "blue" and "green" zone will be free.

The public transport in Sofia will run according to holiday schedules for Easter, Labor Day and St. George's Day, the Sofia Municipality announced.

On 6th of May, Bulgaria celebrates the Day of Saint George the Victorious.

The public holiday is also known as Gergyovden and is one of the most celebrated name-days in the country.

St. George is the patron saint of shepherds and roasting a whole lamb is part of the tradition on this day.

Prices of lamb for St. George's Day remain unchanged. 80% the Bulgarian meat was sold on the Easter market. This is reported by the National Sheep and Goat Association. The remaining 20% will be sold for May 6th. The amount will satisfy the needs for St. George's Day." The price of the lamb at Easter ranged between 14-16 BGN per kilogram.

World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day.

Today is the general rehearsal for the military parade on May 6th.

Airplanes and helicopters from the Air Force will make low flights over Sofia to prepare for St. George's Day - the day of courage and a celebration of the Bulgarian Army. Today's rehearsal will take place between 9:50 am and 11:00 am and 2:50 pm and 3:40 pm.

On May 6, Bulgarians celebrate St. George's Day, also honoured as Bravery Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army. 

The Ministry of Defence is warning people not to use drons in the area of the military parade today because of the risk of adverse events, reported BNR.

In the early morning of St. George's Day, people from all over the country will take a journey back in time to get in touch with the beauty of nature and the purity of the human soul.

And while the train is moving along the narrow-gauge line from Septemvri to Dobrinishte, people will be preparing for celebration on the meadows near the town of Yakoruda, quoted by BNR.