Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarian university students are celebrating their day on December 8

Photo: BGNES

On December 8, Bulgarian university students celebrate their holiday for the 119th time now. The idea came from the Minister of Education Prof. Ivan Shishmanov, who in 1897 proposed that the first Higher School in Bulgaria should have "a more special holiday of its own", BTA recalls. 

The decision was made on November 2, 1902, when at its meeting the Academic Council of the Higher School determined the day of the educator St. Kliment Ohridski - November 25 (December 8 according to the new style calendar), for its holiday. The following year, the students commemorated him in the hall of the Slavyanska beseda community center in Sofia, and in 1905, the text that November 25 is his patron saint's holiday was written for the first time in the Regulations of the Higher School.

Due to the change in the year counting and the official introduction of the Gregorian calendar in Bulgaria, from 1916 the university holiday was moved forward 13 days and began to be celebrated on December 8.
After 1944 when the Communist regime was established in Bulgaria the students' holiday was moved to November 17, when the International Day of Student Solidarity was marked, but in 1962 the university holiday was again restored to December 8. A few years later, in 1968, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church again designated November 25 as the day of St. Kliment Ohridski, and the Academic Council of Sofia University also decided to return the date of the patron saint to November 25, the day of St. Kliment, Archbishop of Ohrid, to separate it from the general students' holiday on December 8. Thus, December 8 remains a secular date and a popular holiday for Bulgarian university students.

Since 1994, the day has been officially declared by the Council of Rectors as a non-attendance day and a holiday for all Bulgarian university students. 

The number of university students in Bulgaria is currently over 200,000. Some 28,000 of them study economics majors, show data from the latest edition of the Rating System of Higher Schools



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Draft Budget Signals Lower Minimum Wage but Higher Pension Contributions

Bulgaria’s draft social security budget indicates that the minimum wage from 1 January 2026 will be lower than the level set out in the Labour Code , BNR “Horizont” reports. According to sources, the minimum wage will be €605 rather than €620 (BGN..

published on 10/28/25 4:48 PM

The Bulgarian section of the Vertical Gas Corridor to be completed by end of 2026, Energy minister says

Bulgaria’s Vertical Gas Corridor project is on track for completion by the end of 2026 , according to Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, who stressed that it would help the country maintain its strategic position in South East Europe. Accompanied by..

published on 10/28/25 2:55 PM

Ruling parties agree to rotate parliament speaker

Bulgaria’s coalition parties have agreed to introduce a rotating chairmanship of the National Assembly.  At today’s joint governance council meeting, members also discussed next year’s draft budget.  Kostadin Angelov, Deputy Chairman of..

published on 10/28/25 2:42 PM