Whilst most Christians mark today as All saints Day - Bulgarians have their own special holiday today!
November 1st is a Bulgarian holiday dedicated to educators and scholars who have built and preserved the spiritual values ​​and cultural identity of Bulgaria.
Among the most revered Bulgarian national leaders are St. Ivan Rilski, Konstantin Kostenechki, Gregory Tsamblak, Yoasaf Bdinski, Vladislav 'Gramatik', Dimitar Kantakuzin, Petar Parchevich, Peter Bogdan, Paisiy Hilendarski, Priest (Popa) Peyo, Neofit Rilski, Ivan Seliminski, the brothers Dimitar and Konstantin Miladinovi, Georgi Sava Rakovski, Vasil Aprilov, Vasil Levski, Hristo Botev, Stefan Karadja, Hadji Dimitar, Lyuben Karavelov, Petko Slaveikov, Nicolas Batsarova, Ivan Vazov, and many others. Most of them have streets named after them in more than just Sofia ;-)
The day of National Leaders was first celebrated in Plovdiv in 1909. In 1923, King Boris III declared November 1st a national holiday in memory of all deserving Bulgarians.
In 1945 the celebration was prohibited and re-instated in October 1992, when it was officially declared the 'Day of National Leaders'. It is a school holiday today.