Bulgaria Honours the Memory of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius

The Orthodox Church pays tribute to the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius.

During the Bulgarian National Revival, 11 May became established as an important holiday. The earliest references to celebrations dedicated to the two brothers in Bulgarian Revival literature can be found in Neofit Rilski’s 1852 work “Hristomatiya Slavyanskogo Yazika”.

In 1857, the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius was celebrated in the Bulgarian church of St Stephen Church in Constantinople, together with a service honouring Saint Ivan of Rila. According to the Tsarigradski Vestnik newspaper in April 1858, Bulgarians in Plovdiv and other towns had begun celebrating Saints Cyril and Methodius as a school holiday instead of the feast of the Three Holy Hierarchs.

From 1863 onwards, 11 May became formally established as the church feast day of the two saintly brothers, regarded as Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Following Bulgaria’s Liberation, 11 May also became a nationwide school holiday honouring the Slavic enlighteners. It was during this period that the idea for a national hymn emerged.

In 1892, Stoyan Mihaylovski, a teacher at the boys’ high school in Ruse at the time, wrote the lyrics to “Vurvi, narode vuzrodeni” (“March Ahead, O Revived People”). In May 1901, Panayot Pipkov, a music teacher in Lovech, composed the music for the poem.

With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1916, the traditional observance of the holiday, celebrated by both the state and the Church, was moved to May 24.

During the years of growing interest in Bulgaria’s historical past and the rediscovery of key moments linked to periods of national revival and statehood, Bulgarian Revival figures gave due recognition to the role of the Slavic enlighteners in the cultural and historical development of Eastern Europe.

More than a century later, in 1980, Pope John Paul II recognised Saints Cyril and Methodius as co-patrons of Europe.

Source: BGNES