CultureGrams Holiday Focus: Day of Bulgarian Culture and Science (Bulgaria)
Holidays provide a great way to introduce students to the culture and history of a country. "Observe" a world holiday in your classroom by asking students to research the holiday's origins or learn more about a particular aspect of the country.
Bulgarians observe a public holiday on May 24 to celebrate the country's accomplishments in science and culture and to honor two ninth-century Christian priests and missionaries, Cyril and Methodius. These Greek brothers are credited with formalizing the Cyrillic alphabet, which is used by a number of Eastern European languages, including Bulgarian, Russian, and Macedonian. Bulgarian, the country's official language, is a Slavic language that uses the Cyrillic alphabet.
World Holidays Featured This Month
Kosovo - Dita Punes (Workers' Day) - May 1
Known alternatively as Labor Day or International Workers' Day, this holiday is celebrated in nearly 100 countries around the world.
Marshall Islands - Constitution Day - May 1
Marshallese consider this their Independence Day because it is the anniversary of the day in 1979 when the islands gained autonomy from the United States.
Namibia - Cassinga Day - May 4
Honors all who died to avert South African domination.
Mexico - Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May) - May 5
This holiday is sometimes wrongly considered Mexico's independence day (which actually takes place in September). Cinco de Mayo is instead a celebration of Mexico's 1867 victory over the French.
Micronesia - The Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia - May 10
Celebrates the day in 1979 when Micronesia became an independent nation.
Liberia - National Unification Day - May 14
Celebrates the reconciliation of indigenous Liberians and Americo-Liberians (who descend from immigrants from the United States).
East Timor - Restoration of Independence - May 20
Celebrates East Timor's independence from Indonesia, which was achieved on this date in 2002.
