MIZIA HOLIDAY CELEBRATION DAY
2 August – Ilinden (old church style)
Every year, Mizia has had a town fair celebration starting in the days leading to 2 August. This tradition began in 1880 when on 21 November the inhabitants of the then village of Bukyovtsi gathered in the historic area called Kamenov Most to honour the memory of the Russian and Romanian soldiers that had fallen in the liberation war against the Ottoman Rule.
Later on, the fair was moved to the town and the timing of the event was on Ilinden, after the harvest had been completed and crops gathered.
During the fair days various events and competitions take place such as the traditional Ram Wrestlings, swimming contests for the St. Ilia Cup of the Mizia municipality, mutton offering meal in honour of the patron saint of the town, various concerts, arts exhibitions, etc.
MIZIA TOWN DAY
13 February
This day has been celebrated as the town day since 1970, when by Decree № 344 the then village of Bukyovtsi was turned into the town of Mizia.
The town municipality of Mizia has the key organizing role of this celebration day. The major events on this day include a ceremonial assembly of the Municipality Council, presenting awards to local distinguished sporting, artistic, educational and cultural figures; a celebration concert with amateur performing groups and popular actors, and fireworks ceremony.
COAT OF ARMS
The design for the coat of arms of the town of Mizia is based on three major elements – a shield, fortress wall and a flag.
The central element – the shield – contains the town symbols. Its area is divided into three through a Y-like graphics. On the one hand, this is an ancient Bulgarian sign of the Dulo klan, characteristic of the Danubian Bulgaria, and on the other, this is similar to the Christian cross. Also, the three graphic lines symbolize the three rivers – the Danube, Ogosta and Skut.
A beech tree corresponds to one of the stories about the origin of the oldest name of the settlement – Bukyovtsi, naturally adopted because of the lush beech-tree forests growing in the region long time ago (‘buk’ being the Bulgarian word for ‘beech’).
The open book symbolizes one of the town’s characteristic products – paper. It also recognizes the fact that the town founded the first monastery school in the region.
The bottom one third part of the shield shows the goddess Demetra (Kibela) who is a symbol of fertility and the circle of life. It can also be assumed to depict the unknown ancient Thracian woman who lived in the area in the ІV century BC, and a piece of her jewelry was found as part of the Bukyovtsi silver treasure excavated on a farm land in 1925.
The fortress wall is a symbol of the stronghold, and the five loop-holes can also stand for the five letters of the town name.
The tow-colour flag of the Mizia municipality and the wreath of oak branches and wheat ears complete the composition in a harmonious way.
FLAG
The Mizia town flag is composed of two colours – white and green, placed horizontally. The white colour is a symbol of independence, hope and peacefulness of the Mizia citizens. The green colour symbolically represents the connection to the heroes struggling for national liberation during the Bulgarian renaissance, as well as fertility. The two colours come in the same hue as those on the national tri-colour flag.
The Mizia coat of arms is positioned in the upper left corner of the white part of the flag.
