Aytos welcomed September 22 with a solemn ceremony, music and a large horo dance on Svoboda Square. The day began with a flag-raising, and residents and guests of the municipality from different generations gathered for the ceremony. The town thus marked 118 years since the proclamation of Bulgaria's Independence — the date on which the country definitively established itself as a sovereign state on the European map. From the official ceremony, the celebration quickly turned into popular festivities that brought people together around music and tradition.
Aytos Mayor Vasil Edrev took the stage in front of the square and greeted the town's residents and guests on the occasion of the national holiday. Municipal councilors and local government representatives who took part in the ceremony stood beside him. However, it was the people themselves who took center stage — they filled the square and turned the official celebration into a true town festival.
After the ceremonial part, music took over. The girls from the "Shareno Gaitanche" dance group, led by Ivelina Kostadinova, from the "Vasil Levski 1869" chitalishte took the stage. With their colorful folk costumes and traditional dances, they showcased a piece of Bulgarian heritage and lifted the audience's spirits. It was their performances that brought to Svoboda Square that sense of a living celebration, in which history is not confined to speeches but is expressed through steps, music and costumes. They also delivered the most emotional moment of the program.
The "Rhodope Band" orchestra, led by Stefan Merkov, also offered a festive greeting to residents. The musicians brought Rhodope rhythms to the center of Aytos and quickly won over the audience with their performances. Gradually, the line between stage and square disappeared — people were no longer just watching from the sidelines but became part of the program themselves. The celebration turned into a shared experience for everyone who came to mark September 22.
The high point of the day was the long horo dance, led by the girls from "Shareno Gaitanche." Both young and old residents of Aytos joined in, filling Svoboda Square and marking the holiday together through one of Bulgaria's most recognizable traditions. In this way, the celebration of Independence concluded not only with official symbols and greetings but with people holding hands in a shared rhythm. Local authorities, young performers, musicians and the residents of Aytos all came together in one place to celebrate the national holiday.