Bulgaria’s public holidays are set nationally by Article 154 of the Labour Code. The calendar includes New Year’s Day; Liberation Day on 3 March; Labour Day on 1 May; St George’s Day and Armed Forces Day on 6 May; the Bulgarian education, culture and Slavonic literature holiday on 24 May; Unification Day on 6 September; Independence Day on 22 September; and Christmas Eve plus 25 and 26 December. Orthodox Easter adds a four-day block from Good Friday through Easter Monday, with dates that change each year.

How people take the days

When a public holiday other than the Easter holidays falls on Saturday and/or Sunday, the first one or two following working days are non-working under Article 154. The original holiday date stays on the calendar: a substitute day is additional, not a renamed feast. Orthodox Easter is expressly excluded from this replacement rule. A Friday or Monday holiday can create a long weekend; taking an adjacent working day as annual leave is a separate decision, not an automatic national entitlement.

If you're visiting

Use the calendar for the year of your visit, especially for Orthodox Easter and weekend substitutes. Bulgaria’s Easter dates can differ from those used in Western Europe. Christmas Eve is itself a public holiday, so the Christmas block starts on 24 December, not 25 December. A public holiday does not establish the opening hours of every shop, attraction or restaurant: check the venue and transport operator before making a booking.

If you live here

National Awakeners Day on 1 November is a day off for educational establishments, not a general public holiday for the whole workforce. School breaks, name days and municipal celebrations should not be treated as nationwide days off. For shift work or holiday pay, check your employment arrangements and the Labour Code rather than inferring an entitlement from a calendar badge. The official Council of Ministers list and Labour Code are linked in this page’s data sources.

Nearby countries

Neighbours of Bulgaria — see their holidays, or compare the two calendars side by side.

What these days actually mean

Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.

Christmas Eve

24 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.

Christmas Day

25 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: The central Christian winter feast; in most countries the household gathering matters more than the church service.
Business: Near-total closure of retail, offices and banks. Expect the preceding afternoon to shut early too.
Transport: Skeleton or suspended services in many countries. Book intercity travel well ahead.

Second day of Christmas

26 Dec 2026

Public

Observance: Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work.
Business: Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
Transport: Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.

General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.