Stores to Remain Open on Cyril and Methodius Day, Surprising Many Slovaks

Major retail chains in Slovakia will operate on their normal schedules during the upcoming feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, July 5, a public holiday that many Slovaks assume triggers mandatory store closures. Unlike some Slovak public holidays, which require shops to shut by law, the Cyril and Methodius holiday does not carry such a legal obligation, meaning supermarkets and large retail chains are free to remain open as usual. Saints Cyril and Methodius were 9th-century Byzantine missionaries credited with creating the Glagolitic script — a precursor to the Cyrillic alphabet — and bringing Christianity to the Slavic peoples, making their feast day one of significant cultural and religious importance in Slovakia. Despite the holiday's prominence, Slovak law does not place it among the restricted trading days, leaving many shoppers caught off guard when they find stores fully operational.