Bulgaria Celebrates St. George's Day

News.bg, May 07, 2008

An army parade on Sofia's Tsar Osvoboditel boulevard and Battenberg square marked the day of Bulgarian army on St. George's day, May 6.

Representatives of all military schools and types of military forces marched in front of hundreds of Sofia residents in an event that has become a tradition since 1993. Fighter jets and other military equipment were also part of the event. The parade closed Sofia's centre around Alexander Nevski cathedral and the National Art Gallery between 7.30 am and 12.30pm.

The day, called Gergyovden in Bulgarian, is a major public holiday in the country and, according to Orthodox Cristian beliefs, it is the day when Bulgarians honour the brave and the courageous ones.

The tradition of celebrating May 6 as the day of the army is an ancient one but was put on hold by the communist regime in the late 1940s.

“Today we honour the memory of our heroes and we stand proud before our army flags, tested in the battles led in the name of the great cause - the liberation of all Bulgarian lands, their unity and the preservation of Bulgaria,” President Georgi Purvanov said in his speech on May 6.

May 6 is the day when all those named Georgi, Gergana and Ginka celebrate their name day with a traditional meal of lamb. Reports by Bulgarian-language media said that the holiday resulted in shops raising the price of lamb to 14 leva a kg.