site.btaToday’s Observances: Nov. 13

Bulgaria:

- Christmas Fast begins and continues until December 24 (Christmas Eve).

The world:

- International Day of the Blind.

- Day of homage of the Catholics from across the world to the martyrdom of Monsignor Evgenii Bossilkov, Bishop of Nikopol, and of the Bulgarian Catholic Clergymen Kamen Vitchev, Pavel Djidjov and Yosafat Shishkov. The Clergymen were beatified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

On this date in Bulgarian history:

866: Pope Nicholas I hands a Bulgarian legation sent to Rome his responses to 106 questions about the fundamentals of Christianity, posed by Prince Boris.

1876: A Bulgarian volunteer force is set up in Kishinev, Moldova to fight for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

1915: Diplomatic relations are established with Switzerland at the level of legations. Promoted to embassy level on July 1, 1963.