site.btaBulgarians Pay Tribute to National Awakeners

Each year on November 1, Bulgaria pays tribute to the men and women who kept alive the nation’s conscience through the centuries - its teachers, writers, scholars, clergy, and revolutionaries. The Day of the National Awakeners honors those who shaped the country’s moral and spiritual identity and who dedicated their lives to education, enlightenment, and national freedom.

The holiday commemorates hundreds of figures who stirred Bulgarians to self-awareness and cultural pride, most of whom lived during the National Revival period of the 18th and 19th centuries. Yet the roots of this awakening reach far deeper into history. The earliest “awakeners” include the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, creators of the first Slavic alphabet; King Boris I, who led his people into Christianity; and his son, Tsar Simeon the Great, under whom medieval Bulgaria experienced its “Golden Age.”

Among the later revivalists, Paisius of Hilendar (1722–c.1773) stands as a symbolic figure. At a time when the Bulgarian people had nearly lost their sense of nationhood after centuries of Ottoman domination, Paisius wrote his Slav-Bulgarian History (1762). This short but powerful book urged Bulgarians to remember their past and take pride in their heritage - sparking the cultural and spiritual reawakening that would eventually lead to the country’s liberation.

There is no fixed canon of who qualifies as a “national awakener.” The title embraces anyone who has contributed to Bulgaria’s intellectual, cultural, or moral advancement - from medieval monks and educators to modern-day humanists and artists.

The Day of the National Awakeners was first celebrated in 1909 in the city of Plovdiv. In 1922, Minister of Education Stoyan Omarchevski proposed that November 1 be officially recognized as a national holiday in honor of Bulgaria’s spiritual leaders - a proposal approved by the 19th Ordinary National Assembly later that year. By royal decree of King Boris III, issued on February 3, 1923, the date became an official day of remembrance for the nation’s most distinguished figures.

After the communist takeover in 1945, the celebration was abolished, as such expressions of national spirituality were deemed incompatible with the new regime. The tradition was revived nearly half a century later: in 1992, the 36th National Assembly restored November 1 as the Day of the National Awakeners, officially recognized in the Labour Code and observed as a non-school day throughout the country.

Here is how the National Awakeners' Day was covered by BTA:

November 1, 1939 - On the occasion of the Day of the National Awakeners, a second thanksgiving service [after one on the occasion of the name day of Queen Giovanna] was held at 11 a.m. in the St. Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral, officiated by Metropolitan Neophyte, together with numerous priests. Among those present were Their Majesties’ entourage, government ministers, senior military officers, representatives of all Sofia high schools, and many citizens. Afterward, officials and citizens proceeded to the royal palace to sign the book of greetings.

 November 1, 1940 - On the occasion of the Day of the National Awakeners, the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Prof. Bogdan Filov, delivered the following address over Radio Sofia:

“Bulgarians, today’s holiday - both the feast of our National Awakeners and the day of St. John of Rila - is a day of spiritual awakening. It expresses our reverence for the figures of our National Revival and for all those who have built the foundations of our nation.

From a purely school celebration, as it was first established in 1922, it soon grew into a nationwide holiday - a collective expression of gratitude toward all who have worked for Bulgarian education and culture.

Days like today, when the entire people pay tribute to their most deserving sons, give us a chance to reflect more deeply on our purpose in life, to feel more strongly the living bonds that unite us as one nation, and to draw strength from the shared spirit that inspires selfless service to the homeland.

Today’s holiday could also be called the day of the indomitable power and triumph of the Bulgarian spirit.

Throughout the centuries, in its uneven course of development, our nation never lost its identity, even when it lost its political independence. Though subjected to many hardships, deep within its soul there always grew the strength embodied by a few inspired and powerful individuals who pointed the true way forward, refusing to let the people surrender to despair or decay. In this way, they helped preserve our inner being so that, when strength and circumstance allowed, Bulgaria could reclaim its freedom and independence.

All our awakeners were faithful sons of their people. Their deepest wish was not only to spread education and enlighten minds but also to inspire courage, and - in times of trial - to console and uplift. Living close to the people’s hardships, feeling the pulse of their hearts, they sought to keep their spirit alive and their faith in brighter days unbroken.

In their progress, nations learn from the experience of past generations and grow stronger in their constant struggle with the obstacles that threaten their historical existence. Our people have lived through great trials that have steeled their will and taught endurance in the defense of their rights. For centuries they struggled with the land for their sustenance and always saw one of their greatest ideals in national unity and spiritual elevation.”

“Our people have always lived with deep faith in the spiritual forces that guide and sustain them on the right path. Bulgarian education and culture have been their guiding light through centuries of slavery and hardship. They kept alive the consciousness of nationhood, of a shared past and a common future.

Today, in new times, we must realize that the work of the awakeners is not finished. It continues through everyone who serves the people and the homeland with knowledge, labor, and integrity. In today’s world, where material concerns and political struggles often blind the spirit, we need their example more than ever - their purity of thought and faith in the moral elevation of humanity.

Let us not forget that the true greatness of a nation is not measured by its wealth or glory, but by its spiritual strength, its culture, and its moral steadfastness. Our awakeners teach us that enlightenment is not only knowledge, but also a moral light that illuminates the path of the nation.

To you, Bulgarian youth, I address my warmest words today. You are the heirs of the great revivalists, of the teachers, writers, and freedom fighters. It is up to you to continue their work with the same fervor and faith in Bulgaria’s spiritual mission. Keep our language pure, honor the book, value labor, and care for culture - for in them lies the living strength of the nation.

On this day, let us all bow with gratitude before the memory of those who awakened their people to new life, and let us promise to remain worthy of their sacred work.

Long live Bulgaria! Long live the Bulgarian spirit!”