site.btaGovernment Sets Dates of Non-Orthodox Religious Holidays in 2026

The Council of Ministers set the dates of religious holidays in Bulgaria in 2026 for religions other than Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Government Information Service said on Wednesday. According to the Labour Code and the Civil Servant Act, employees celebrating these holidays can take either paid or unpaid leave as they choose.

The holidays are as follows:

Roman Catholics:

• Easter on April 5;
• Holy Monday on April 6;
• Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29;
• All Saints' Day on November 1;
• Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Muslims:

• Ramazan Bayram on March 19 and 20;
• Kurban Bayram on May 26, 27 and 28;
• Prophet Muhammad's birthday on August 24.

Jews:

• Pesach on April 2, 3, 8 and 9;
• Shavuot on May 22;
• Yom Kippur on September 21.

Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church:

• Christmas on January 6;
• Resurrection Sunday on April 5;
• Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24;
• Transfiguration of Jesus on July 12;
• Dormition of the Mother of God on August 16;
• Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 13.

White Brotherhood:

• Vernal Equinox Day on March 22;
• Day of Birth of the Teacher on July 12;
• Assembly Days on August 19, 20 and 21;
• Day of the Death of the Teacher on December 27.

Seventh Day Adventists: Six Saturdays in the year, if their contracts of employment otherwise oblige them to work.

Diamond Way Buddhism: Vesak, or Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, on May 31.

Jehovah's Witnesses:

• Jesus Christ Memorial on April 2;
• Convention days on June 26, 27 and July 3, 4 and 17.

Churches in Reformed and Evangelical traditions: Reformation Day on October 31.

Baha'i community:

• Naw Ruz on March 21;
• First Day of Ridvan on April 21;
• Ascension of Baha'u'llah on May 29;
• Martyrdom of the Bab on July 10;
• Birth of the Bab on November 10;
• Birth of Baha'u'llah on November 11.

Buddhist community:

• Mahayana New Year on January 3;
• Parinirvana or Attaining Nirvana on February 15;
• Theravada New Year on April 13;
• Vesak - Birth and Enlightenment of Buddha on May 31;
• Bodhi Day on December 8.

Society for Krishna Consciousness:

• Gaura Purnima on March 3;
• Rama Navami on March 27;
• Narsimha Chaturdashi on April 30;
• Krishna Janmashtami on September 4.