When is Bulgarian Army Day?
This official public holiday in Bulgaria is celebrated on May 6th. The full title of the holiday is the Day of Valour and of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.
Also known as Saint George's Day, Army Day honours Saint George, the patron saint of the Bulgarian armed forces. The feast day of Saint George is on May 6th in the Orthodox calendar and April 23rd under the Gregorian calendar.
History of Bulgarian Army Day
Bulgaria became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1396. In the late nineteenth century, a growing tide of nationalism had been spreading across Europe, which had been threatening the break up of the western parts of the Ottoman Empire.
In April 1876, uprisings in other parts of the Ottoman Empire spread to Bulgaria. The suppression of the revolts by the Ottomans was horrific and when the atrocities were made public to the West and Russia, international condemnation was widespread. In April 1877, Russia formally declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The war ended in March 1878 with the signing of the San Stefano peace treaty which created the independent state of Bulgaria.
On July 22nd 1878, 12 battalions of volunteer units who had participated in the war, formed the Bulgarian armed forces.
May 6th was officially pronounced as the Day of the Bulgarian Army in 1880, though it has only been marked with a national holiday since 1998.
