Bulgaria's 2025 public holidays deliver a mix of history-soaked city breaks, Orthodox festive windows, and shoulder-season Black Sea escapes. Use this guide to see every official day off and decide where to attach annual leave for maximal downtime.
2025 public holiday highlights
| Holiday | Date | Day | Quick description |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 Jan | Wed | Fresh year kickoff—easy to extend into a four-day Pirin ski break |
| Liberation Day | 3 Mar | Mon | National celebrations in Sofia and Plovdiv set the tone for spring escapes |
| Orthodox Good Friday | 18 Apr | Fri | Start of Easter weekend—pair with Borovets or Bansko snow finals |
| Orthodox Easter Monday | 21 Apr | Mon | Wraps the four-day Orthodox Easter celebration |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Thu | Shoulder season for the Black Sea and Danube wine routes |
| St. George's Day / Armed Forces Day | 6 May | Tue | Military parades plus rose valley excursions |
| Saints Cyril & Methodius Day | 24 May | Sat | Cultural events and open-air concerts across major cities |
| Unification Day | 6 Sep | Sat | Weekend festivals in Plovdiv and ship parades in Burgas |
| Independence Day | 22 Sep | Mon | Ideal for late-summer seaside send-offs |
| Christmas Eve | 24 Dec | Wed | Traditional fasting feast before festive gatherings |
| Christmas Day | 25 Dec | Thu | Family time, ski pistes, and Christmas markets |
| Second Day of Christmas | 26 Dec | Fri | Stay in the mountains or explore Sofia once locals travel |
Planning tips
- Open the Bulgaria 2025 planner and filter by March, May, September, and December to surface top-rated itineraries.
- Use Wanderlust's shuffle to grab alpine spas, Danube wine weekends, and Black Sea villa stays that match each window.
- Shortlist in the planner to automatically tally leave consumption and share the plan with your travel crew.
Make the most of each season
- Winter & Orthodox Easter: Pair late-season ski runs in Bansko with day trips to the Rila Monastery and Sofia food tours.
- Spring Cultural Loop: Liberation Day to Culture & Literacy Day brings museum nights, rose valley excursions, and Plovdiv street art festivals.
- Black Sea Summer: Unification and Independence Day sit in the sweet spot for Sozopol and Varna, with fewer crowds and warm water.
- Festive Finisher: Christmas Eve through New Year's is perfect for mountain chalets, mulled wine in Sofia's markets, and jazz nights in Plovdiv.
Bookmark this guide and revisit when public-holiday calendars refresh; HolidayStacker keeps the MDX front matter in sync so your planner windows stay accurate.