3 March – Liberation Day is Bulgaria’s National Holiday and it is an official non-working day for teachers and staff and a non-school day for students.
The Liberation Day, officially known as the Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Dominion (Bulgarian: Ден на Освобождението на България от османско иго) in Bulgaria is celebrated on 3 March. It commemorates the Liberation of Bulgaria during the events of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishment of a Bulgarian statehood. The Treaty of San Stefano signed on 3 March 1878 envisaged the Ottoman Empire to accept the refoundation of the Bulgarian state that was conquered in 14th century during the Bulgarian–Ottoman wars.
Every year on 3 March, wreaths are laid at the Shipka Monument and military honors in memory of all Russian soldiers who died fighting for the liberation of Bulgaria. Residents around the country commonly lay flowers and notes at monuments to the fallen foreign troops (Russian, Finnish and Romanian) alongside their Bulgarian counterparts. In the evening, on the National Assembly Square near the monument to the Tsar Liberator, there is a solemn military service which includes the inspection of the National Guards Unit of Bulgaria by the President of Bulgaria and the awarding of military personnel with national decorations.
