May 24 is the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture: history, meaning and traditions

In Russia, the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture is widely celebrated in spring. The celebrations are held annually on May 24. In 2025, this date falls on a Saturday, a day off. How the Slavic script originated and what traditions accompany the state holiday, read in the Izvestia article.

Slavic Writing and Culture Day 2025 — the history of the holiday

The celebration is timed to coincide with the Memorial Day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Brothers Cyril and Methodius, the founders of Slavic writing. It was first celebrated in 1863, the year of the millennium of the new alphabet, named Cyrillic alphabet after the youngest of the brothers.

After the revolution, the holiday was not celebrated for many years. It was revived only in 1985, when the 1100th anniversary of the repose of St. Methodius was celebrated. Six years later, the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture received an official status, becoming a symbol of the spiritual unity of all Slavic peoples.

Day of Slavic Writing and Culture — creation of the alphabet by Cyril and Methodius

The language of the Slavs originated more than a thousand years ago. The first mentions of individual words and names appeared in the 6th century, when Slavic tribes began to interact closely with Byzantium.

May 24 is the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture: history, meaning and traditions

With the spread of Christianity, it became necessary to create a separate alphabet for the then-unified Slavic state of Great Moravia in the Danube lowlands. The inhabitants spoke different dialects of the Slavic language, but they did not have their own writing system. In this regard, teachers were needed who were ready to explain the Christian teaching to the people in an accessible way.

In the 9th century, the enlighteners Cyril and Methodius arrived in Moravia on behalf of the Byzantine Emperor. The brothers created an alphabet and texts that gave an idea of the basic norms of the Christian world and allowed them to perform divine services in the Slavic language. They also translated the Psalter, the Apostolic Epistles, and selected readings from the Gospel from Greek.

In total, two alphabets were created — Glagolitic and Cyrillic. The latter has become most widespread due to its simplicity, having been developed in modern alphabets of Russians, Belarusians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Macedonians and Ukrainians. Dozens of other peoples of the world also write in Cyrillic.

Day of Slavic Writing and Culture — traditions

Until recently, one of the Russian cities was chosen for the celebrations every year. Since 2010, by presidential decree, Moscow has been designated as the main place to celebrate the Day of Slavic Writing.

Scientific conferences, festivals, concerts and fairs are organized in the capital during the holiday. Two other important events are also timed to coincide with this date — the presentation of the Patriarchal Kirill and Methodius Prize, which honors authors who have made a great contribution to the development of Russian literature, and the annual Cyril and Methodius Readings, which bring together experts in the field of Slavic languages and culture.

In other countries, it is also customary to commemorate holy preachers. So, in Bulgaria, on May 24, the Day of Enlightenment, Culture and Slavic Writing is celebrated, and in North Macedonia, the Day of the All—Slavic Enlighteners and Teachers. In the Czech Republic, the brothers are honored on July 5 — in the country, the holiday is called Cyril and Methodius Day and is officially declared a weekend.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions of celebrating Philologist's Day, which is celebrated the day after the Day of Slavic Writing and Culture.