Public holidays
Bulgaria: 18 public holiday dates in 2026 (18 days off) and 16 in 2027 (16 days off), with 248 working days in 2026 and 249 in 2027. National holidays only: regional ones are not included.
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | 2026-W01 | New Year's Day | Yes |
| Friday 2 January 2026 | 2026-W01 | Non-working day | Yes |
| Tuesday 3 March 2026 | 2026-W10 | Liberation Day | Yes |
| Friday 10 April 2026 | 2026-W15 | Good Friday | Yes |
| Saturday 11 April 2026 | 2026-W15 | Holy Saturday | Yes |
| Sunday 12 April 2026 | 2026-W15 | Easter | Yes |
| Monday 13 April 2026 | 2026-W16 | Easter | Yes |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | 2026-W18 | Labor Day and International Workers' Solidarity Day | Yes |
| Wednesday 6 May 2026 | 2026-W19 | Saint George's Day, Day of the Bulgarian Army | Yes |
| Sunday 24 May 2026 | 2026-W21 | Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture | Yes |
| Monday 25 May 2026 | 2026-W22 | Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture | Yes |
| Sunday 6 September 2026 | 2026-W36 | Unification Day | Yes |
| Monday 7 September 2026 | 2026-W37 | Unification Day | Yes |
| Tuesday 22 September 2026 | 2026-W39 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | 2026-W52 | Christmas Eve | Yes |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | 2026-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Saturday 26 December 2026 | 2026-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | 2026-W53 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January 2027 | 2026-W53 | New Year's Day | Yes |
| Wednesday 3 March 2027 | 2027-W09 | Liberation Day | Yes |
| Friday 30 April 2027 | 2027-W17 | Good Friday | Yes |
| Saturday 1 May 2027 | 2027-W17 | Holy Saturday | Yes |
| Sunday 2 May 2027 | 2027-W17 | Easter | Yes |
| Monday 3 May 2027 | 2027-W18 | Easter | Yes |
| Tuesday 4 May 2027 | 2027-W18 | Labor Day and International Workers' Solidarity Day | Yes |
| Thursday 6 May 2027 | 2027-W18 | Saint George's Day, Day of the Bulgarian Army | Yes |
| Monday 24 May 2027 | 2027-W21 | Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture | Yes |
| Monday 6 September 2027 | 2027-W36 | Unification Day | Yes |
| Wednesday 22 September 2027 | 2027-W38 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Friday 24 December 2027 | 2027-W51 | Christmas Eve | Yes |
| Saturday 25 December 2027 | 2027-W51 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Sunday 26 December 2027 | 2027-W51 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Monday 27 December 2027 | 2027-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Tuesday 28 December 2027 | 2027-W52 | Christmas Day | Yes |
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | Friday 10 April 2026 | Friday 30 April 2027 | +20 days |
| Holy Saturday | Saturday 11 April 2026 | Saturday 1 May 2027 | +20 days, changes month |
| Labor Day and International Workers' Solidarity Day | Friday 1 May 2026 | Tuesday 4 May 2027 | +3 days |
A shift ignores the year: +19 days means 19 days later in the calendar.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| March | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| April | 20 | 21 | +1 |
| May | 18 | 17 | −1 |
| June | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| July | 23 | 22 | −1 |
| August | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| September | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| October | 22 | 21 | −1 |
| November | 21 | 22 | +1 |
| December | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| Q1 | 61 | 62 | +1 |
| Q2 | 60 | 60 | 0 |
| Q3 | 64 | 64 | 0 |
| Q4 | 63 | 63 | 0 |
| Year | 248 | 249 | +1 |
Weekdays by the local weekend (Sunday and Saturday), minus the public holidays most people have off.
The first day of the calendar year in the Gregorian calendar, 1 January. Cultures and religions that follow a lunisolar or lunar calendar celebrate their New Year at other points of the year. Japan celebrates New Year on 1 January, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, instead of with the Chinese calendar that was in use until 1873.
At work: Fine to mention, and a natural moment to wish colleagues well.
3 March is Bulgaria's national holiday. It marks the Treaty of San Stefano, signed on 3 March 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War, in which the Ottoman Empire agreed to the refounding of the Bulgarian state. Wreaths are laid at monuments such as the Shipka Monument, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church holds a special liturgy.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
A solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus, observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It falls on the Friday immediately before Easter Sunday.
At work: Fine to mention the long weekend. It is a sombre day for those who observe it, so avoid "Happy Good Friday". Its date moves every year with Easter, so check the calendar when planning spring deadlines.
The last day of Holy Week, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when Christians prepare for Easter. It commemorates the time Jesus lay in the tomb. Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican churches begin the Easter Vigil service on this day.
At work: Fine to mention with care: a quiet day before Easter. A day off in the places that list it; the card shows the official days off.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is the most important feast of the Christian year. Families go to church and share a festive meal, and in many places Easter eggs are decorated and broken together as a symbol of the empty tomb. Easter is a moveable feast, with its date set by a lunisolar calendar. Easter Monday, the day after, is a public holiday in more than 50 predominantly Christian countries.
At work: Widely welcome to mention. Colleagues may be away for the whole long weekend.
International Workers' Day, on 1 May, honours workers and the labour movement. The date was chosen to commemorate the 1886 general strike in the United States that culminated in the Haymarket affair, and the day was adopted in support of a "great international demonstration" for the eight-hour day.
At work: Fine to mention the day off. In some countries it has a political side, so keep it about the break.
6 May is Gergyovden, Saint George's Day, which is also the Day of Bravery and the Bulgarian Army (Armed Forces Day).
At work: Welcome to mention. A day off.
24 May honours Saints Cyril and Methodius, who are venerated by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, together with the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and Slavonic literature.
At work: Welcome to mention. A day off.
6 September marks the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885, when the Principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia, both parts of the Ottoman Empire, were joined.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
Marks 22 September 1908, when Bulgaria declared full independence from the Ottoman Empire.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A day off.
The evening or entire day before Christmas, widely recognised as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day. Christmas celebrations in Western Christianity have long begun on Christmas Eve, and Midnight Mass is popular in Poland (pasterka) and Lithuania.
At work: Where it is a day off it simply starts the Christmas break. In other places, many people finish at midday. Don't schedule anything.
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on 25 December. Eastern Christian Churches that follow the older Julian calendar celebrate it on 25 December of that calendar, which currently corresponds to 7 January. It is a public holiday in many countries, and many non-Christians celebrate it culturally too.
At work: Widely welcome to mention. Plan important meetings before the break. If you're unsure whether someone celebrates it, "Happy holidays" is a safe choice.
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