On September 22nd, Bulgaria celebrates the independence day or 'Ден на независимостта' and it marks Bulgaria's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908.
History of Bulgarian Independence Day.
Bulgaria has been a member of the Ottoman Empire since 1396. In the late nineteenth century, a rising wave of nationalism swept over Europe, threatening the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire's western territories.
In April 1876, uprisings in various areas of the Ottoman Empire moved into Bulgaria. In 1877, Russia officially declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The battle ultimately culminated in the establishment of a Bulgarian principality inside the Ottoman Empire, albeit with limited territory.
Following a war with Serbia, the principality expanded its territory in the region, and on September 22, 1908, in the Veliko Tarnovo manifesto, Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria declared Bulgaria's independence from the Ottoman Empire, re-appearing on the European map after five centuries of Ottoman rule.
Bulgaria was still using the Julian calendar in 1908, hence the proclamation of independence took place on October 5th.
The Bulgarian National Assembly made the day a public holiday on September 10th, 1998.
