Holidays on 6th September

Bulgaria Unification Day

It is a national holiday in the country, commemorating the unification of Eastern Roumelia and Bulgaria in 1885. By the terms of the Treaty of Berlin, Southern Bulgaria was separated from the newly formed Bulgarian state and returned to the Ottoman Empire with partial autonomy. The Bulgarian Citizens considered the decisions of the Berlin Treaty to be unfair and started a peaceful demonstration against them. This developed over the years, with the formation of the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee in February 1885 to help unification. It was on 5th September 1885 the people rose in Goliamo Konare and after arresting the prefect of Plovdiv the militia advanced towards the capital. The following day the palace in Plovdiv (capital of Eastern Roumelia) was surrounded, and the two countries were unified into Bulgaria.

Celebrations are focused in Plovdiv, usually with parades and ceremonies, but other places do celebrate across the country.

Colour Blindness Awareness Day

This day raises awareness of those who are colour blind, and supporting these people. This date was chosen because it is John Dalton’s birthday, who was best known for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry. He was the first scientist to study colour blindness, publishing a paper on the topic. He discovered his own colour blindness, and began conducting test on his friends to see if they shared his impairment.

Somhlolo Day

This is a public holiday in Eswatini (Swaziland), being its Independence Day as it commemorates the day Swaziland gained independence from Great Britain in 1968. In the middle of the 19th Century under the leadership of King Sobzuha I it was twice the size it was today. It was caught between the British and the Boers, and the Pretoria Convention of 1881 guaranteed its independence, but this came at a price as it lost a lot of its territory. After the Boer administration collapsed at the end of the Anglo-Boer War in 1903, the British took control of the country as a protectorate. Movements towards independence gained pace in 1964 when the adoption of its first constitution, and then a new one in 1967 which allowed the introduction of self-government once independence was gained. This was achieved a year later, and the holiday is named after King Sobzuha I, who was nicknamed “Somhlolo”, which means the Wonder, and is considered the founder of the country.

Ceremonies take place in the Somhlolo Stadium in Lobamba, the Royal capital. Local celebrations are held, with singing and traditional dancing by the Swazi regiments.