For Bulgarians, May 24 is one of the brightest days of the year. It is a celebration of spiritual elevation, of striving for perfection through the achievements of science and culture. On this day we celebrate the work of the educators of the Slavs, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, revered in the whole of the Christian world.

In the ninth century, the brothers from Thessaloniki started their missionary activity as preachers of Christianity. They created the foundations of the Slavic alphabet, which gave a serious impetus to the cultural development of the Slavic peoples. Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher managed to create a written system that would adequately reflect the peculiarities of the Slavic language. He provided a corresponding letter to each sound. In many respects he gave symbolic meaning to the first Slavonic alphabet – the Glagolitic script, which is composed of the sacred elements of Christianity - a cross, a circle as a symbol of perfection and a triangle as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. According to experts, we see the dedication that the alphabet must serve to spread the word of God among the Slavs encoded in these symbols. This is the reason for the special attitude of reverence towards this script to this very day.

Nowadays, the letters we use to write and read from an early age bring joy and satisfaction of knowledge and allow us to create our cultural heritage for the generations who come after us. That is why on this day we celebrate Bulgarian culture, education and spiritual development.

For the first time this year, after a decision of the 44th National Assembly, instead of "Day of Bulgarian Education, Culture and the Slavonic Script ", May 24 is celebrated as "Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture and of Slavic Literature".

You can learn more about the essence of this bright holiday for every Bulgarian in the article "May 24 – day of Slavic First Educators and Enlighteners” from Radio Bulgaria’s collection.

Compiled by: Veneta Nikolova

English: Alexander Markov