Word of the Day: 'Freedom or Death!'

The month of March — and especially its beginning — is a very Bulgarian time of year. We welcome 'Grandma Marta' and the arrival of spring on March 1st with a uniquely Bulgarian tradition: the exchange of martenitsi. International Women's Day on March 8th is a worldwide holiday, but since Bulgarian women are (provably) the most beautiful in the world, we count that one as our own too. And of course, March 3rd: Liberation Day — the day Bulgaria was freed from Ottoman rule! We bow in gratitude to the Russian liberators and to the heroism of the Bulgarian volunteer fighters (as well as to all Finnish, Romanian, and every other soldier from other nations who gave their lives for Bulgaria's freedom)!

When we speak of March 3rd, we cannot help but recall the famous revolutionary motto of the April Uprising of 1876, embroidered on the rebels' banner by the legendary Rayna Knyaginya: 'Freedom or Death!'

You may find it interesting to learn, however, that quite a few countries around the world lay claim to being the original source of this defiant motto. Among them is Brazil with: „independence or death“ — the motto of the 'Brazilian Empire': 1822–1889! Greece with: 'Ελευθερία ή θάνατος' — the national motto from the Greek War of Independence in 1821. Serbia with their: 'Слобода или смрт' — used by Serbian Chetniks during their liberation movement. Uruguay with: 'Libertad o Muerte' — the national motto of Uruguay dating from the Cisplatine War (the Argentine-Brazilian War of 1825–28)! And even… Turkey! 'Ya istiklal ya ölüm' is the national motto of the government in Ankara — though in this case it is more accurately translated as 'Independence or Death.' 'Viața-n libertate ori moarte' is a line from the Romanian national anthem. 'Live Free or Die,' meanwhile, has been the official motto of the state of New Hampshire (USA) since 1945.

You will likely find it even more fascinating to hear how this famous rebellious phrase sounds in all of the languages listed above, plus a few more… Word of the Day: Freedom or Death!