Happy 24 May — Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and of Slavonic literacy!
24 May 2023 News
Dear compatriots,
It is a special joy and an exceptional privilege for me to celebrate with you one of the most holy and long-awaited Bulgarian holidays of the year — 24 May — the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, enlightenment and culture and of Slavonic literacy.
Every Bulgarian, whether in his homeland or around the world, has been ingrained with the love of the bright 24th of May since childhood. We celebrate our language and writing, which are the basis for the preservation of our Bulgarian identity. On this day, we recall the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, thanks to whom we have preserved and exist to this day. It is our responsibility to remain faithful to their covenants, to preserve the pure Bulgarian language that they forged for us, and to continue to believe in the power of the Bulgarian word that builds us as individuals and as a Bulgarian nation.
Today's day of enlightenment involves and assigns to each one of us a sacred duty to preserve ‘the most Bulgarian holiday’. On May 24 every year, to the sounds of ‘Varvi, Narode Vazrodeni (March ahead, o revived people)’, all Bulgarians from different parts of the Motherland and the world stand on their feet to build new spiritual bridges through the Bulgarian word, through its unique creative power.
And today, thanks to Bulgaria, the Cyrillic alphabet is one of the three official alphabets of the European Union. This is a spiritual and moral capital that I hope we will all continue to protect and preserve together in a united Europe and in the world, because the word and writing are our imprint and identity in the history of mankind.
In this sense, the Bulgarian diplomatic service is naturally conditioned by education and writing. By tradition and conviction, however, we are not alone in our professional life. That is why, on today's Literacy Day, I offer my sincere gratitude to the thousands of our compatriots around the world and at home, to the hundreds of Bulgarian communities and organizations abroad, to all those modern awakeners who, despite the challenges of the times, selflessly carry in their hearts the work of enlightenment, educate the younger generations and work tirelessly to strengthen and expand the Bulgarian linguistic and cultural space beyond the borders of the Motherland.
Happy holiday!
Ivan Kondov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria