Why does the Bulgarian or Cyrillic alphabet matter to you and me? It is used in 12 countries and by an estimated 300 million people, and Latin, Greek and Cyrillic are the three scripts officially recognized and used by the EU.
The Bulgarians call it Bulgarian as well as Cyrillic. It is said (by Bulgarians and scholars I presume) that the Russians did not want to credit Bulgaria with the language and instead called it Cyrillic. Since St Cyril is a patron saint of Bulgaria, either way, they celebrate on May 24th every year the language and Bulgarian culture. The Russians also celebrate the same day. (If you look at the brothers' death dates, they don't match May 24th, and other countries use different dates, but the date May 24th was chosen by Bulgaria because it uses the Julian Calendar.
The invention and promotion of the new system of writing is also credited to St Clement (St Kliment) and to disciples of St Cyril and his brother.
Problem
Bulgarian's two patron saints are St Cyril and M e t h o d i u s. Cyril was the man who is credited with the introduction of Cyrillic writing in the 9th century AD. The brothers, born in Greece, were missionaries, travelled a lot, spoke several languages (Cyril spoke Arabic and Hebrew) and wanted to translate the bible, both Old and New Testaments into the local language.
When I first read the second name I found it hard to remember. I was wondering (I typed p u z z l e d but spell checker turned the word into buzzing which is amusing but not what I wrote) - so I was wondering what contribution was made by lesser known (at least in the UK) M e t h o d i u s. Who was he?
Answer
When I went back to Google and typed in Cyril and celebrations I was referred back to an article on the saints. It turns out the two men were brothers. That makes a lot more sense. I can imagine the writing was named after the one who invented it, Cyril, who was said to be the youngest of seven brothers.
How do I remember the name of the second saint?
Spell checker keeps changing M e t h o d i u s to method and that is my memory aid. M e t h o d i u s was the man with the method. Add the ending i u s like P o l o n i u s in Hamlet.
From the traveller's point of view, the interesting thing is that the two national saints are pictured everywhere in churches. When you go to a church and see Saint Cyril or his brother, you are looking at the men who introduced and promoted the writing you see all around you, inside the church and outside in the street.
One article on Cyrillic writing shows how the writing developed. It started by taking another alphabet, Greek, and added letters for sounds used in the Bulgarian Alphabet. The original letters were based on three symbols of the Christian church, the cross, the circle. The language was possibly developed from
http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2016/05/24/bulgaria-celebrates-day-of-bulgarian-cyrillic-alphabet-and-culture-day-of-st-cyril-st-methodius/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/philosophy-and-religion/saints/saints-cyril-and-methodius
Tips
Wiki has articles on Saint Cyril and Cyrillic writing. Also see the websites of TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet.
Bulgarian tourist board
www.tourism.government.bg/en
http://www.bulgariantouristboard.com
Italian Tourist board
www.italiantouristboard.co.uk/
Russian Tourist Board
http://www.visitrussia.org.uk
Greek Tourist Board
http://www.visitgreece.gr (photos will be added later.)
Finally, if you find the language is a challenge, get everything you need translated in advance. Don't rely on on sign language because the Bulgarians nod when they mean no and shake their heads when they mean yes.
You will misunderstand them, and they will misunderstand you!
FLIGHTS
To fly to these countries check the national and budget airlines:
http://www.aeroflot.com/ru-en (Russian)
www.bulgaria-air.co.uk/
ryanair.com
https://www.cheapflights.co.uk/find-flights/to-Ukraine
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on language and memory aids. Please read my other posts and share links to your favourite posts.
The Bulgarians call it Bulgarian as well as Cyrillic. It is said (by Bulgarians and scholars I presume) that the Russians did not want to credit Bulgaria with the language and instead called it Cyrillic. Since St Cyril is a patron saint of Bulgaria, either way, they celebrate on May 24th every year the language and Bulgarian culture. The Russians also celebrate the same day. (If you look at the brothers' death dates, they don't match May 24th, and other countries use different dates, but the date May 24th was chosen by Bulgaria because it uses the Julian Calendar.
The invention and promotion of the new system of writing is also credited to St Clement (St Kliment) and to disciples of St Cyril and his brother.
Problem
Bulgarian's two patron saints are St Cyril and M e t h o d i u s. Cyril was the man who is credited with the introduction of Cyrillic writing in the 9th century AD. The brothers, born in Greece, were missionaries, travelled a lot, spoke several languages (Cyril spoke Arabic and Hebrew) and wanted to translate the bible, both Old and New Testaments into the local language.
When I first read the second name I found it hard to remember. I was wondering (I typed p u z z l e d but spell checker turned the word into buzzing which is amusing but not what I wrote) - so I was wondering what contribution was made by lesser known (at least in the UK) M e t h o d i u s. Who was he?
Answer
When I went back to Google and typed in Cyril and celebrations I was referred back to an article on the saints. It turns out the two men were brothers. That makes a lot more sense. I can imagine the writing was named after the one who invented it, Cyril, who was said to be the youngest of seven brothers.
How do I remember the name of the second saint?
Spell checker keeps changing M e t h o d i u s to method and that is my memory aid. M e t h o d i u s was the man with the method. Add the ending i u s like P o l o n i u s in Hamlet.
From the traveller's point of view, the interesting thing is that the two national saints are pictured everywhere in churches. When you go to a church and see Saint Cyril or his brother, you are looking at the men who introduced and promoted the writing you see all around you, inside the church and outside in the street.
One article on Cyrillic writing shows how the writing developed. It started by taking another alphabet, Greek, and added letters for sounds used in the Bulgarian Alphabet. The original letters were based on three symbols of the Christian church, the cross, the circle. The language was possibly developed from
http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2016/05/24/bulgaria-celebrates-day-of-bulgarian-cyrillic-alphabet-and-culture-day-of-st-cyril-st-methodius/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/philosophy-and-religion/saints/saints-cyril-and-methodius
Tips
Wiki has articles on Saint Cyril and Cyrillic writing. Also see the websites of TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet.
Bulgarian tourist board
www.tourism.government.bg/en
http://www.bulgariantouristboard.com
Italian Tourist board
www.italiantouristboard.co.uk/
Russian Tourist Board
http://www.visitrussia.org.uk
Greek Tourist Board
http://www.visitgreece.gr (photos will be added later.)
Finally, if you find the language is a challenge, get everything you need translated in advance. Don't rely on on sign language because the Bulgarians nod when they mean no and shake their heads when they mean yes.
You will misunderstand them, and they will misunderstand you!
FLIGHTS
To fly to these countries check the national and budget airlines:
http://www.aeroflot.com/ru-en (Russian)
www.bulgaria-air.co.uk/
ryanair.com
https://www.cheapflights.co.uk/find-flights/to-Ukraine
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on language and memory aids. Please read my other posts and share links to your favourite posts.
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