There is a special holiday in Bulgaria dedicated to the national revival leaders. These leaders of the Bulgarian people are bookmen and revolutionaries; people who through the different periods of time had helped with the enlightenment of the Bulgarian people.

In this article, you’ll learn about Revival Leaders’ Day (sometimes called National Revival Day) and how Bulgarians celebrate. Further, we’ll provide you with some information on those involved in the Bulgarian national revival.

At BulgarianPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your learning journey both fun and informative!

1. What is Revival Leaders’ Day?

The Day of the Bulgarian National Revival Leaders is a public holiday, celebrated annually with torchlight processions. The holiday emerged as a way of commemorating the work of people who helped in the national liberation movement of the country. The role of such people in the revival and promotion of the Bulgarian spirit through hard historic events is very important.

Who are the national leaders honored on this day? They include Saint Ivan of Rila, Paìsiy Hilendàrski (Paisius of Hilendar), Vasil Levski, Hristo Botev, Ivan Vazov, and many other people who had contributed to the development of Bulgaria through history. The church holiday on which the Day of Saint Ivan of Rila was commemorated turned into an official holiday under the name Day of the Bulgarian National Revival Leaders.

In 1945, the communist regime in Bulgaria revoked the holiday celebration, because it was in contradiction with the propaganda and censorship imposed at that time. Despite this, it was celebrated unofficially, and in 1992 it became an official holiday again. Since 2002, on this day, the national flag in front of the Presidency is raised and the changing of the sentry takes place, as on other big holidays.

2. When is National Revival Leaders’ Day?

Each year, Bulgarians celebrate the Bulgarian Revival Leaders’ Day on November 1.

3. Popular Revival Day Traditions & Celebrations

The Day of the Bulgarian National Revival Leaders is a non-attendance day for all schools. Instead, the Bulgarian high school and university students hold parades, while the museums offer free admission.

As mentioned earlier, there are also torchlight processions on this day. Other festivities include masses for the dead and special school programs related to the Bulgarian revival.

4. Two Other Holidays

What else is celebrated on the Day of the Bulgarian National Revival Leaders?

Since 1991, November 1 has also been regarded and celebrated as the Day of Bulgarian Science and the Day of Bulgarian Journalism. On this day, the Union of Bulgarian Journalists gives its annual awards.

5. Essential Revival Leaders’ Day Vocabulary

Here’s the most essential vocabulary you should know for Revival Leaders’ Day!

• Паисий Хилендарски
  Paisii Hilendarski
  Paisius of Hilendar
• Прекланям се
  Preklanyam se
  Bow
• Просветител
  Prosvetitel
  Enlightener
• Възраждам се
  Vazrazhdam se
  Resuscitate
• Възрожденски
  Vazrozhdenski
  Renaissance
• Държавен суверенитет
  Darzhaven suverenitet
  State sovereignty
• Памет
  Pamet
  Memory
• Отменен
  Otmenen
  Canceled
• Свети Иоан Рилски
  Sveti Ioan Rilski
  Saint John of Rila
• Национално самосъзнание
  Natsionalno samosaznanie
  National identity awareness
• Наум
  Naum
  In one’s mind
• Уважаван
  Uvazhavan
  Respected
• Подражавам
  Podrazhavam
  Imitate
• Празнична програма
  Praznichna programa
  Festive program
• Панихида
  Panihida
  Mass for the dead
• Последовател
  Posledovatel
  Follower

To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, check out our Revival Leaders’ Day vocabulary list! Here, you’ll find each word accompanied by an audio file of its pronunciation, alongside a relevant image.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Revival Leaders’ Day with us, and that you took away some valuable information!

Does your country have a holiday for honoring important historical figures? Let us know in the comments!

Learning about a country’s culture may be the funnest part of trying to master a language. At BulgarianPod101.com, we have fun and effective lessons on many aspects of Bulgaria and its people. For further learning, you may want to check out one of the following pages:

• Top 10 Bulgarian Holidays & Festivals: National Revival Day
• Top 15 Phrases You Should Know for Starting Conversations
• Tourist Attractions in Bulgaria
• Top 10 Quotes About Language Learning
• Habits for Highly Effective Language Learners

Learning a new language is no easy feat, but practice and consistency are key. At BulgarianPod101, we believe that you really can master the language, and we’ll be here with help and encouragement on every step of your language-learning journey!

Happy learning!