St Cyril and St Methodius Day Holiday
Sunday, May 24, 2026
In North Macedonia, as well as in neighbouring Bulgaria, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius are honoured with their own public holiday on 24 May. Cyril and Methodius Day was established in North Macedonia in 2007, but it was already celebrated in North Macedonian schools earlier. In 2026, St Cyril and St Methodius Day falls on Sunday 24 May. The holiday will be on Monday 24 May in 2027. Cyril and Methodius were brothers who were born of a mixed Greek-Bulgar marriage in the A.D. 800s. In 860, they ventured out into the Slavic heartland in modern-day Ukraine to spread the Gospel. In the process, they developed the Glagolitic alphabet, which is the precursor of the Cyrillic alphabet that most Slavic countries still use today. This includes North Macedonia. In North Macedonia, the holiday is also sometimes called Slavonic Enlighteners’ Day because of the light of learning and of Christian truth that these two brothers brought to a formerly dark land. Cyril and Methodius lead the way in translating the Bible into Old Bulgarian as well as translating some other books. This led to the blooming of Slavic literature and culture.
History
Cyril and Methodius Day was established in North Macedonia in 2007, but it was already celebrated in North Macedonian schools earlier. In 860, they ventured out into the Slavic heartland in modern-day Ukraine to spread the Gospel. Cyril and Methodius lead the way in translating the Bible into Old Bulgarian as well as translating some other books
How It's Celebrated
In North Macedonia, as well as in neighbouring Bulgaria, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius are honoured with their own public holiday on 24 May. Cyril and Methodius Day was established in North Macedonia in 2007, but it was already celebrated in North Macedonian schools earlier. The holiday will be on