Christmas Eve (observed)

📣 Traveler notes

Bulgaria is a country located in the Balkan region of Europe, situated west of the Black Sea and south of the Danube River.

• The Bulgarian state recognizes several national holidays in addition to Christmas, New Year's Day, and Easter.
• Key national holidays include March 3 (Liberation Day), May 1 (International Workers' Day), May 6 (St. George's Day/Day of the Bulgarian Armed Forces), and May 24 (Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and the Cyrillic Alphabet).
• Bulgarians are generally friendly. Using common greetings (e.g., "dobar den" or "Kak ste") is appreciated. Be aware of local sensitivities regarding nationalism, Turkey, and Macedonia. Note that the head gestures are reversed from many Western countries: nodding means 'No' and shaking the head means 'Yes'.