Bulgarians are among the few peoples in the world with a holiday dedicated to spirituality—the National Awakeners' Day. We celebrate it every year on November 1 to honor those who awakened the nation to freedom, knowledge and dignity during the dark years of oppression. Today, in the age of high technology and artificial intelligence, these figures bring us of back to our values, to knowledge, and to the understanding that freedom begins with enlightenment and spirituality.

The word 'awakener' comes from 'awake', meaning someone who awakens others from the darkness of ignorance. The awakeners are writers, teachers, scholars, clergy, revolutionaries and educators— people who, through their words and deeds, kindled the spark of Bulgarian self-awareness, awakening a sense of identity, language and homeland.

The holiday was first celebrated in 1909 in Plovdiv, and in 1922 it was officially recognized by the National Assembly as a day honoring "all deserving Bulgarians". The idea came from Education Minister Stoyan Omarchevski and the government of Alexander Stamboliyski. They chose November 1—the day of Saint John of Rila, regarded as the first Bulgarian enlightener—a monk who devoted his life to faith, kindness and the spiritual upliftment of the nation.

• On the reverance of national awakeners and the modern dimension of spiritual awakening

Over time, the saint’s example was followed by other remarkable figures: Paisius of Hilendar, who wrote Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya (Slav-Bulgarian History); Sophronius of Vratsa, author of the first printed book in modern Bulgarian; Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski; poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev; Petar Beron and Vasil Aprilov (pioneers of modern education) and many more. Each of these bright personalities “awakened” their fellow Bulgarians in their own way—through the pen, through faith, or through the sword. Thus, through culture and knowledge, the enlighteners laid the foundations of modern Bulgaria, inspiring pride and love for the homeland.

Today, the National Awakeners’ Day is among Bulgaria’s most cherished holidays. In schools, children recite poems and light candles in front of the portraits of our spiritual ancestors, because true freedom begins with knowledge, and because the enlighteners are not only in the past; they live in everyone who awakens the minds and hearts of others.

Read also:

• Modern-day “awakeners” who make a difference by leading by example

• The Day of National Enlighteners continues to remind us of the meaning of spirituality and Bulgarian national identity

Photos: oborishte.bg, BGNES, Ina Kobusen, BTA