Liberation Day in Bulgaria

A national public holiday

The Labour Code names 3 March as the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman Domination and the National Day. It is a public holiday under Article 154. If a public holiday other than Easter falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the first working day or two working days after it, as applicable, are also non-working days.[1]

Visitors should check directly with offices, banks, shops, museums and transport operators before making plans.[1]

The history behind 3 March

On 3 March 1878, Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the preliminary Treaty of San Stefano, ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The treaty recognized Bulgaria as an autonomous country. It did not settle Bulgaria’s later borders: the Treaty of Berlin, signed three months afterward, divided the territory and returned some regions to Ottoman rule.[2]

The date therefore marks liberation and the beginning of a restored Bulgarian state, rather than the country’s later declaration of independence. Bulgaria proclaimed independence in 1908.[2]

How the date became National Day

The Ministry of Tourism traces the commemoration to 1880. The date was later identified with the signing of the San Stefano treaty, and the Gregorian calendar change in 1916 accounts for the difference between 19 February in the old style and 3 March in the new style for the 1878 event.[3]

The holiday’s status changed over time. The date was removed from the list of non-working days in 1950, observed as a one-off centenary holiday in 1978 and restored as an official holiday in 1988. In 1990 it was declared the national holiday.[3]

Ceremonies and remembrance

Official celebrations take place around Bulgaria, with Shipka Peak a prominent focus because of its association with the battles commemorated as part of the liberation. The Ministry of Tourism describes nationwide ceremonies and identifies Shipka as a central gathering place.[4]

Government accounts of past celebrations show some of the forms remembrance can take: raising the national flag, military honours, prayers for those killed, and laying wreaths and flowers at the Freedom Monument on Shipka. Ceremonies have also taken place in cities such as Sofia, where an evening military ceremony has been held.[5]

Planning around the holiday

Because 3 March is a statutory public holiday, it affects the working calendar, including the additional non-working days provided by law when a public holiday falls on a weekend.[1] Check local announcements and operating hours before travelling.