Today Bulgaria Celebrates St. George Day

On this date (May 6), Bulgaria celebrates the Holy Martyr George the Victorious each year.

He is one of the most revered saints, a martyr of Christ's faith in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Over 170,000 are the Bulgarians, who are named Georgi, and in this respect the name of the brave saint-patron of the army leads the ranking of the most popular Bulgarian male names, overtaking in this respect even the most popular native name Ivan.

During the reign of Emperor Diocletian he was a soldier in the Roman Empire. He is the patron of England, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Ethiopia, Canada, Catalonia, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Montenegro and the cities of Beirut, Genoa, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Moscow and Freiburg.

The icons of St. George the Victorious are always depicting him on a horse, and at his feet lies the dragon he has killed. The Orthodox Church in Greece and Romania celebrates its memory on April 23rd. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the people celebrate it on 6 May and is an official state holiday.

On May 6 in Bulgaria is also the Day of Courage and the celebration of the Bulgarian Army.