Labour Day in Bulgaria

A public holiday set by law

Article 154 of Bulgaria’s Labour Code lists 1 May as Labour and International Workers’ Solidarity Day. The Council of Ministers also includes it among Bulgaria’s official holidays.[1][2]

The Labour Code says that when a public holiday other than Easter coincides with a Saturday or Sunday, the first working day or two working days after it, as applicable, are non-working days. The Council of Ministers’ holiday page gives a similar rule.[1][2]

How the observance began in Bulgaria

The Sofia Regional History Museum traces the first Bulgarian observance to 1890, initiated by the Typographers’ Society in Sofia. It says workers from other sectors later joined. The Bulgarian News Agency’s photo archive records the first large demonstrations in 1893 in Sofia, Plovdiv and Vidin.[3][4]

The museum describes a shift in the holiday’s public role during the socialist period, when large, organized demonstrations became a prominent feature, especially in Sofia. It records that after the political changes following 10 November 1989, obligatory demonstrations ended; socialist and communist groups continued to organize marches.[3]

Meaning and observance

The name used in the Labour Code links the day with both labour and international workers’ solidarity. Bulgaria’s history museum documents demonstrations as a significant part of its observance.[1][3]

Work and practical planning

The holiday’s legal status makes it a non-working day under the statutory rules. Work can still take place: the Labour Code says work on public holidays must be paid at no less than twice the employee’s remuneration, whether or not it counts as overtime.[1]

Check directly with the office, bank, shop or transport service you plan to use before making plans.[1][2]