Celebrations of the national holiday continued with numerous events organized over the weekend by the 15 Bulgarian Sunday schools as well as the Bulgarian cultural centers across the Midwest.
The proclamation highlights the achievements of individual persons related to the cultural and historical heritage of Ohio and Bulgaria, including the Bulgarian emigration from the region of Macedonia in the first half of the 20th century. The document also recognizes the contribution of the two Bulgarian Orthodox churches in the state, the Sunday school “Rodolubie” and the Bulgarian Association of Cincinnati, to the preservation of the Bulgarian-American cultural heritage.
On March 3, according to tradition, the Bulgarian national flag was raised at Daley Plaza, Chicago, by Ms. Bogdana Chkoumbova, Chief Education Officer at Chicago Public Schools. At the ceremony, addresses were delivered by Consul General Svetoslav Stankov and Consul General of Israel, Yinam Cohen. Mr. Cohen congratulated the audience on the National day of Bulgaria, emphasized the friendship relations between Bulgaria and Israel, and commended Bulgaria and Bulgarian people on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the salvation of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War. The celebration ended with Bulgarian folk dances.
This year, the Consulate General in Chicago and the Bulgarian community in the city and across the Midwest celebrated Bulgaria’s National Day, March 3, The Liberation Day, with a series of initiatives and events.
On the initiative of the Consulate General, on the evening of March 3, the Chicago sky was lit up with the colors of the Bulgarian flag from the tallest building in the city and the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Willis Tower.
On the initiative of the Consulate General and with the support of the Bulgarian community, the Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, recognized March 3, 2023, as Bulgarian Liberation Day in the state. The proclamation is a huge recognition both for Bulgaria and for the rich history of Bulgarian emigration in the state. The proclamation marks a number of important anniversaries, including the 80th anniversary of the Rescue of Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust, 120 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the United States, 145 years of the Liberation of Bulgaria and the restoration of the modern Bulgarian state.
