Send to Kindle
The Dormition of Mary Monastery near Troyan in central northern Bulgaria. File photo.
Thousands of believers are expected to flock to the Rila Monastery in southwestern Bulgaria for the evening service on the eve of the great Eastern Orthodox holiday Dormition of Mary.
Known to Catholics and Anglicans as Assumption of Mary, the day, celebrated in Bulgaria on August 15, marks the passing of the mother of Christ and her ascension to Heaven.
It is a holiday of happiness and joy, for it was the day that the mother of Chirst rejoined him in eternal glory.
In Bulgaria the day is also the name day of persons bearing the widespread name Maria, and cognates like Mario, Mariana.
Many people will flock to churches for the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God services, with monasteries across the country being a traditional destination for worship.
The famous Troyan Monastery, which bears the name of the day, has its temple holiday Monday, and a lot of people are expected this year, as usual.
The day is also the official holiday of third-biggest Bulgarian city Varna, whose main cathedral bears the name of the Dormition.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Sofia has filed formal charges against the former mayor of Varna, Ivan Portnih, the former regional governor Stoyan Pasev
The Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, returned to his duties after spending nearly five months in custody, describing his first day back as long but welcomed
Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev was released from custody on Friday following his arrest in a high-profile corruption and office abuse case
The Varna District Court has lifted the detention of the city’s mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, after nearly five months in custody
On November 21, the Orthodox Church marks the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, a date that in Bulgaria is also observed as the Day of the Christian Family and Youth
Yesterday, protesters gathered once again in Sofia’s triangle of power, reviving slogans and songs familiar from Bulgaria’s turbulent political past
Traffic is set to open around noon today on a newly completed 3-kilometre stretch of the Hemus highway
In 2025, Bulgaria is set to record another increase in the number of households connected to the internet.
Preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) show that Bulgaria employed 3,726,500 people in the third quarter of 2025
From December 1, pensions in Serbia rose by 12.2%, bringing the average pension for retirees to 485 euros
Bulgaria’s bagpipe tradition has received one of the highest international honors after being officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A series of non-working days is approaching around Christmas and New Year
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence
