Skopje, 24 May 2025 (MIA) – The country is celebrating May 24, Ss. Cyril and Methodius Day, a public holiday in honor of the brothers, who are the founders of Slavic literacy and literature and are credited with the cultural development of all Slavs. Their efforts to spread Christianity earned them the Church’s recognition as Equals to the Apostles.

President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is leading a state-church delegation in Rome and the Vatican, where they are paying tribute at the tomb of Saint Cyril as part of the “Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius” events.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski is attending the celebration of May 24, the Day of the Pan-Slavic Educators Ss. Cyril and Methodius and is to address "A Beacon Through the Centuries and for the Future" event, which will take place at the Church of St. Sophia.

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Day, is also celebrated in Ohrid with a series of events. The festivities began Friday with a scholarly panel, continue Saturday with the International Choir Festival at the Ancient Theatre stage, a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument in City Park, and a children’s poetry festival, and will conclude Saturday evening at the Church of St. Sophia with the concert “Artists in Honor of Saints Cyril and Methodius.”

Ss. Cyril and Methodius were brothers from Salonica, of eminent and wealthy parents, Leo and Maria. The elder brother, Methodius, spent ten years as an officer among the Slavs in Macedonia, and thus learned the Slavic language. After that, Methodius went off to Olympus and gave himself to monastic asceticism, and Cyril (Constantine) later joined him there.

When the Khazarite king, Kagan, sought preachers of the Christian faith from Emperor Michael, the Emperor commanded that these two brothers be found and sent to the Khazars. They converted Kagan to the Christian faith and baptized him, together with a great number of his nobles and an even greater number of the people. After some time, they returned to Constantinople, where they compiled a Slavic alphabet of 38 letters and began to translate the service books from Greek into Slavonic.

At the invitation of Prince Rastislav, they went to Moravia, where, with great devotion, they spread and confirmed the Faith, made more copies of the books, brought them priests and taught the young. They went to Rome at the invitation of the Pope, and Cyril fell ill and died there, on Feb. 14, 869. Then Methodius returned to Moravia and labored at the confirming of the Faith among the Slavs until his death. After his death on April 6, 885, his disciples, the Five Followers, with St. Clement as bishop at the beginning, crossed the Danube and moved towards the south, to Macedonia, where, from Ohrid, they continued the work among the Slavs that Cyril and Methodius had begun in the north.

In accordance with the Law on Holidays, May 24, Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, is a public holiday and a non-working day for all citizens.

Photo: MIA archive