BULGARIA MARKS THE DAY OF ST. GEORGE THE VICTORIOUS AND ARMY DAY

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.

6th of May is also the Day of Valour and the Bulgarian Army. It was made an official holiday with a decree of Knyaz Alexander of Bulgaria on 9th of January 1880. During the Communist regime the holiday was cancelled, but it was reinstated in 1993.

The Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte will serve a blessing of the Bulgarian military flags and the flags and banners of the sacred places of the Bulgarian Army in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the capital city of Sofia at 9:00 a.m.

The Day of Valour will be marked with the traditional military parade in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. More than 1,300 military servicemen will march through central Sofia in this year’s parade. More than 35 military vehicles will participate in the drivepast and 12 aircrafts and helicopters of the Bulgarian air force were readied for the flypast on the army day.

Equipment of the ground troops and the air defense missile troops will make their first appearance in the parade since 2009.

The parade starts at 10:00 a.m.