CELEBRATING THE CYRILLIC ALPHABET AND SLAVIC WRITING

On May 24, Bulgaria celebrates the national holiday of the Bulgarian alphabet, education, culture, and Slavic literature. On this day, honor is paid to the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius – the creators of the Slavic script.

In 855, they created the Glagolitic alphabet in the Byzantine “Polychron” monastery. They then set out to popularize Christianity among the Slavic-speaking peoples. Their students Kliment, Naum, Sava, Gorazd and Angelarius continued their work and in the ninth century received a warm welcome in Bulgaria. In the “Preslav Book School“ (Bulgaria), they created the Cyrillic alphabet, which replaced the Glagolitic alphabet and which all Slavic peoples now write with. The brothers Cyril and Methodius were canonized as saints for the translation and popularization of the Bible into Old Slavonic language and the spread of Christianity. In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared them patrons of Europe.

We share a special musical greeting of André Rieu, known as the King of the Waltz, to the Bulgarian people on the occasion of May 24. Rieu presents the anthem of Bulgarian Enlightenment “Go, Reborn People”, performed by his “Johann Strauss” Orchestra.