The Bulgarian Army is marking Sunday, May 6, the Day of Army Valor with a number of events and parades.

The festivities started at 9 am in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the capital Sofia with the consecrating of colors and laying of flowers and wreaths in honor of the perished Bulgarian servicemen.

Following the tradition, the military parade began at 10 am with a MI-17 helicopter carrying the national flag, escorted by two helicopters "Cougar." Unlike previous years the parade in Sofia will pass by the Central Military Club in the direction of the Presidential building, announced the Ministry of Defense.

The military parade will not include a display of military equipment, except the three helicopters.

Over 500 army officers and soldiers will march in 7 units. They represent the Military Academy "Georgi S. Rakovski," the National Guard, the National Guard orchestra, participants in peace missions, the Land Force, the Air Force, and the Navy.

The parade is led by the Commander of the Land Forces, General-Major, Stefan Vasilev. The Commander in Chief, President, Rosen Plevneliev, will great the troupes. This will be the first such parade for Plevneliev and the third for Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.

The solemn change of guard at the Presidential building is scheduled for 12 noon.

The day will be marked with consecrating of colors in army units in Varna, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Yambol, and Haskovo, among others.

The National Military History Museum in Sofia is planning several events throughout the day and a special outdoors exhibit of helicopters, tanks and other military equipment.

The Bulgarian Memory Foundation is organizing for the fifth year in a row a visit of the Novo Selo military cemetery at Novo Selo, Macedonia, which is the location of one of the largest Bulgarian military cemeteries outside of Bulgaria. It is the burial site of some of the Bulgarian soldiers killed on the Balkan Front of World War I.

Because of the festivities streets in downtown Sofia are closed for traffic and parking.

May 6 was officially pronounced as the Day of the Bulgarian Army on January 9, 1880, shortly after the establishment of the country's military with a decree of Knyaz Alexander Battenberg.

After the Communist regime came to power, in 1946, the holiday was banned to be reinstated on January 27, 1993 with a decision of the Bulgarian cabinet.

Since 1998 it has been marked as a national holiday, and it is a day off for workers across the country.

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