Saints Cyril and Methodius 2023: Date, History, Facts about Bulgaria

On July 5, we celebrate Saints Cyril and Methodius Day. In the year 863, the brothers Cyril and Methodius were invited to proclaim the gospel in Slavic. To accomplish this, they devised the Cyrillic alphabet and translated the “Bible” and liturgical texts into Slavonic, which lacked a written form at the time; hence, they were regarded as the “apostles of the Slavs.”

The background of Saints Cyril and Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius were two brothers who were born in Byzantine Thessalonica in the ninth century. They were members of an influential Christian family. Their mother was Bulgarian and their father was Greek. In the year 860, Cyril and Methodius travelled to modern-day Ukraine as missionaries to convert the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia, and Pannonia to Christianity.
Additionally, the brothers are credited with creating the Glagolitic alphabet. Prince Rastislav of Moravia requested that the two brothers transcribe religious texts from Greek to Old Bulgarian. Glagolitic is believed to have been the predecessor of Cyrillic, which was named after Cyril. Interestingly, Cyril was previously known as Constantine. He only took the religious name Cyril on his deathbed. Today, the majority of Slavic nations, including Russia, use a variant of the alphabet. That’s why Alphabet Day is also known as Saints Cyril and Methodius Day.

In 1880, Pope Leo XIII decided to add their feast to the Roman Catholic Church’s calendar. Pope John Paul II named them co-patron saints of Europe in 1980. Saints Cyril and Methodius Day is one of the largest religious celebrations of the year in the Czech Republic. The day is commemorated by the annual pilgrimage liturgy in Velehrad. This pilgrimage commemorates the 863 A.D. arrival of missionaries, including Saints Cyril and Methodius, in Great Moravia. Saints Cyril and Methodius Day is also observed in other nations, but for the people of Slovakia, it has a unique historical, cultural, and religious significance.

Independence Day in Algeria 2023: Date, History, Facts about Algeria

Mechanical Pencil Day in U.S. 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Foreign Slovaks Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Slovak