People gather at the monument of the brothers Cyril and Methodius during a celebration event in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 24, 2024. Bulgaria celebrated the Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture on Friday in commemoration of the brothers Cyril and Methodius who in 855 invented the first alphabet for Slavic languages. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)
SOFIA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarians on Friday celebrated the Day of Bulgarian education, culture and the creation of the Slavonic alphabet in a national festival, also known as Alphabet Day.
Held annually on May 24, the event traditionally takes place in front of the National Library in Sofia, at the monument to the brothers Cyril and Methodius, who invented the first alphabet for Slavic languages in 855.
This year, musicians from the country's National Music School and Guard Brass Band played Bulgarian anthems, children recited poems, and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev laid flowers along with hundreds of citizens.
"Today, when countries around the world are competing to invest in science and education, to attract leading minds and talents, we cannot afford to ignore the potential of Bulgarian scientists, teachers and researchers," Radev said.
Meanwhile, Sofia's Mayor Vasil Terziev said May 24 was one of the "most inspiring feasts in our calendar."
"Today is the day we pay tribute to our teachers, guardians of knowledge and enlightenment. Today is the day we are proud of our culture and spirituality," Terziev said.
Laying flowers at the monument with his parents, 10-year-old Juliy told Xinhua: "Thanks to Cyril and Methodius, we can speak and write in our language."
The Slavonic alphabet is currently used in nearly 50 languages, including Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Ukrainian, and Uzbek. ■
A woman holding a banner with the image of the brothers Cyril and Methodius attends a celebration event in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 24, 2024. Bulgaria celebrated the Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture on Friday in commemoration of the brothers Cyril and Methodius who in 855 invented the first alphabet for Slavic languages. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)