Saint Clement of Ohrid Day
Tuesday, December 8, 2026
Saint Clement of Ohrid Day is celebrated on 8 December in North Macedonia. This is a religious and public holiday held in remembrance of North Macedonia’s Eastern Orthodox patron saint. In 2026, Saint Clement of Ohrid Day falls on Tuesday 8 December. The holiday will be on Wednesday 8 December in 2027. The North Macedonian Orthodox Church remembers Saint Clement of Ohrid as their country’s patron saint. He was born in A.D. 840 or so in the North Macedonian region of the Bulgarian Empire of the time. He became a famous scholar and writer and a student and follower of both Saint Cyril and of Methodius. Saint Clement was the great leader of the Old Church Slavonic literary movement, and he adapted a script invented by Cyril and Methodius to create the now widely used Cyrillic Alphabet. Clement is honoured in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia as an important contributor to the advancement of literature and education. On Saint Clement of Ohrid Day, people in North Macedonia get a day off work. They also attend cultural events on the theme of the day. And there is an annual giving out of a “Saint Clement Award”.
History
The North Macedonian Orthodox Church remembers Saint Clement of Ohrid as their country’s patron saint. Saint Clement was the great leader of the Old Church Slavonic literary movement, and he adapted a script invented by Cyril and Methodius to create the now widely used Cyrillic Alphabet. They also attend cultural events on the theme of the day. And there is an annual giving out of a “Saint Clement Award”
How It's Celebrated
Saint Clement of Ohrid Day is celebrated on 8 December in North Macedonia. This is a religious and public holiday held in remembrance of North Macedonia’s Eastern Orthodox patron saint. The holiday will be on Wednesday 8 December in 2027. They also attend cultural events on the theme of the day