Christmas initiatives and charitable causes created a festive mood across Bulgaria

Carolers, charity initiatives, bazaars and concerts today contributed to the festive mood of people in different parts of the country in anticipation of Christmas. Correspondents of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) told about various events combining modern ideas and centuries-old customs in a number of Bulgarian cities. In many places, children had the opportunity to meet Santa Claus, take pictures with him and receive gifts.

In Burgas, British artists Remy and Paul Hogard created an impressive Christmas sand sculpture of the Virgin Mary with the Child, located next to the city clock near the town hall building. The sculpture is shaped from over 10 tons of sand and has become one of the most attractive festive sights for the residents and guests of the seaside city.

In Kazanlak, carol performances, a bazaar with traditional dishes and a rich festive program were organized for local residents and guests of the city. Visitors could try typical Christmas and New Year's specialties, prepared according to old recipes, as well as participate in various entertainment for young and old.

In Pleven, a charity Christmas bazaar was organized in support of the treatment of 11-year-old Mihail. At the stalls in the charity house, visitors discovered Christmas sweets, honey, homemade jam, souvenirs and books, and the funds raised are intended for the continued and expensive treatment of the child. A concert by the young singer Bilyana Dobreva also took place in the Christmas town in Pleven, who "warmed up" the audience in her hometown with performances of Christmas songs, as well as popular Bulgarian and foreign hits. Despite the rain today, the youngest residents of Pleven were expected by Santa Claus to receive their gift and take a picture with him.

A sixteen-year-old boy from Razlog turned his home's yard into a real Christmas town, decorated with hundreds of lights. The young enthusiast has been decorating the house and the space around it for years, with each Christmas building on his previous decoration. This winter, nearly 1,500 meters of illuminated garlands are shining in his yard, and the thousands of lights can be seen from afar and turn the place into a kind of local landmark, part of the evening walks of both the residents of Razlog and guests from other settlements.

In Ruse, the city clock marks the time with the popular Christmas melody "Santa Claus is coming to town", the regional administration announced. During the Christmas and New Year holidays, the chimes will sound every hour, accompanied by one of the most beloved Christmas songs of recent decades. The author of the song is John Frederick Coots, and the original recording is from 1934, and the work became a real hit and gained particular popularity after the film of the same name from 1970 with the participation of Fred Astaire.

Until January 4, festive Christmas trains are running in the center of Sofia, passing through some of the most emblematic places in the heart of the city. The starting and final stop is Alexander Nevsky Square, and the route continues along Georgi Rakovski Street, Patriarch Evtimiy Boulevard, Hristo Botev Street, Alexander Stamboliyski Boulevard, Independence Square, Dondukov Boulevard and returns to the cathedral. An intermediate stop is planned at the National Palace of Culture - on the corner of Patriarch Evtimiy and Vitosha boulevards. The trains run every 30 minutes, every day from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the ticket price is BGN 5.00 (EUR 2.56). Children under the age of ten and people with disabilities travel free of charge, provided they are accompanied by a companion who pays a standard ticket, the Sofia Municipality specifies.

The capital welcomes the holidays with a total of 18 Christmas bazaars, located both in the central parts of the city and in the parks, neighborhoods and surrounding settlements. The traditional German Christmas bazaar and "Sofia Christmas Fest" start the festive program with light decorations, open stages and entertainment for children and adults. On Slaveykov Square is located the "Art and Chocolate Bazaar", which combines culinary offerings and accents from Bulgarian poetry. More and more residents and guests of Sofia choose to celebrate outdoors, and handmade gifts, thematic corners, recreation areas and various culinary stalls contribute to the lively Christmas atmosphere.

Over 2,660 children, adults and lonely people received gifts today as part of the charity campaign of the "Kausa Severozapad" association under the motto "Mission Christmas 2025 - Together we make miracles". This was announced by the chairman of the organization, Temenuzhka Tsvetkova, and the deputy chairman, Boyan Avramov. The gifts are distributed throughout December, and the last of them reached their recipients yesterday and today.

The home social patronage in Harmanli sent Christmas packages to 380 users of the social service. The tradition of distributing holiday gifts has been maintained for years and includes not only food packages, but also a special Christmas fasting menu for people in need. In this way, the municipality and social services strive to provide warmer and more dignified holidays for the elderly and vulnerable residents.

In Shumen, the traditional cycling procession "Christmas on Wheels" was held, organized by the "Ilchov bair" cycling club. The participants started with their bicycles, decorated with festive ornaments, and many of them were dressed in Christmas costumes. The initiative brought together cyclists of different ages and turned the streets of the city into a colorful moving festive procession.

The carolers from Yambol preserve and pass on a tradition unique to Bulgaria - the carol "buenek", which they recreate on the eve of Christmas and Christmas Eve. They not only perform ritual songs and send blessings to the hosts, but are also the only carolers in the country who dance, says ethnographer Dinka Angelova. As every year, the carolers will now go around the neighborhoods of Yambol to dance and bless for better days, and on the holiday itself, the traditional "Yambol Caroling Bouniek" festival will be held, in which over 600 carolers will take part. Christmas Eve is a symbol of hope and a new beginning in folk rituals, the ethnographer also notes.