March 3rd – Bulgaria’s National Holiday – Liberation Day

Bulgaria celebrates Thursday  the country’s National Holiday, March 3rd and the 133 Th anniversary of its Liberation from five centuries of Ottoman dominance.

On 3 March 1878, the Peace Treaty of San Stefano (a tiny town near Istanbul) between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed, bringing Bulgaria back to the political map.

March 3 was honored for the first time in 1880, in the occasion of the Enthronement of Russian Emperor Alexander the Second. Since 1888, March 3 has become Bulgaria’s Day of Liberation, but it was not declared National Holiday until 1978.

With a Parliamentary Decree from 1990, March 3 was included in the list of Bulgaria’s official holiday.

The Peace Treaty of San Stefano marks the revival of the Bulgarian State, dominated by the Ottoman rule since the end of 14th century. Bulgaria, however, became a truly independent country after the Congress of Berlin, which took place a couple of months later in 1878, despite the fact that it ended with the redistribution back to the Ottoman Empire of certain Bulgarian territories that the previous treaty had given to the Principality of Bulgaria, most notably Macedonia.

The Congress of Berlin (June 13 – July 13, 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers’ and the Ottoman Empire’s leading statesmen. In the wake of the Russian-Turkish War, 1877-78, the meeting’s aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans. Otto von Bismarck, who led the Congress, undertook to balance the distinct interests of Britain, Russia and Austria-Hungary. The congress was aimed at the revision of the Treaty of San Stefano and at keeping Constantinople in Ottoman hands.

Bulgaria celebrates Thursday  the country’s National Holiday, March 3rd and the 133 rd anniversary of its Liberation from five centuries of Ottoman dominance.

Liberation Day is a public holiday in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria celebrates a yearly celebration of its liberation from almost 500 years of Ottoman rule on the 3rd of March under the Treaty of San Stefano. The Treaty of San Stefano ended the Russo-Turkish War in 1877 and paved the way for the liberation of Bulgaria and once again establishes itself as a nation and successfully put the country back on the world map.

History of Bulgaria’s Liberation Day

Bulgaria was already a sovereign nation with established culture, language, arts, technology, among others even before it succumbed to the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 15th century.

Bulgaria’s nationhood was established back in the early 7th century (A.D.) when the first Bulgarian Empire began at around 632 and 681 A.D lasting until 1018 covering most of the Balkans, a geopolitical region in Southern Europe. Bulgarians had their own government, and distinct culture, education, literature, arts, religion and economic way of life before the Turks came in. The Slavic people consider Bulgaria as the centre of European culture and arts before the Ottoman Empire colonized the region.

The Ottoman Empire occupied Bulgaria from the latter half of the 14th century (or 15th century in some literature) until the end of Russo-Turkish War in 1877-1878 taking advantage of the decline in power of the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1185 and 1396/1422. Right after the Russo-Turkish War, Bulgaria saw the opportunity to re-establish its Third Bulgarian Empire and founded a new era of constitutional monarchy in 1878 as supported by the Treaty of San Stefano.

Today, through various legislations, Bulgaria’s government is now under parliamentary democracy within a constitutional republic where the head of the state is run by people who are elected by Bulgarians through popular vote. Bulgaria is a member of several international intergovernmental organizations such as the NATO, European Union, United Nations and the World Trade Organizations, among others.

Although the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman dominance was made in 1888, it was not considered as a public holiday until 1978.

On 3 March 1878, the Peace Treaty of San Stefano (a tiny town near Istanbul) between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed, bringing Bulgaria back to the political map.

March 3 was honored for the first time in 1880, in the occasion of the Enthronement of Russian Emperor Alexander the Second. Since 1888, March 3 has become Bulgaria’s Day of Liberation, but it was not declared National Holiday until 1978.

With a Parliamentary Decree from 1990, March 3 was included in the list of Bulgaria’s official holiday.

The Peace Treaty of San Stefano marks the revival of the Bulgarian State, dominated by the Ottoman rule since the end of 14th century. Bulgaria, however, became a truly independent country after the Congress of Berlin, which took place a couple of months later in 1878, despite the fact that it ended with the redistribution back to the Ottoman Empire of certain Bulgarian territories that the previous treaty had given to the Principality of Bulgaria, most notably Macedonia.

The Congress of Berlin (June 13 – July 13, 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers’ and the Ottoman Empire’s leading statesmen. In the wake of the Russian-Turkish War, 1877-78, the meeting’s aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans. Otto von Bismarck, who led the Congress, undertook to balance the distinct interests of Britain, Russia and Austria-Hungary. The congress was aimed at the revision of the Treaty of San Stefano and at keeping Constantinople in Ottoman hands.

Bulgaria – 1878