Честит първи учебен ден!

The first day of school in Bulgaria is a celebration! The children start arriving an hour early and mingle outside with their parents and classmates. At 9:00 sharp, the festivities begin. The older students welcome the younger ones then a chorus performs. The priest is there along with several alter boys and a prayer is said. A soloist sings, announcements are made, and then the first graders are invited into the building. This is a special occasion for the first graders because they go to kindergarten in a separate school in a different part of town. Before they walk through the door, which was splashed with a bucket of water for good luck, the children break off a chunk of bread, dip it in a bowl filled with honey, and eat it. This traditional custom expresses hospitality and is usually served by children dressed in traditional costumes. We were greeted this way when we first arrived in Bulgaria.

The traditional welcoming ceremony

The primary teachers stay with their same classes through the first four years, so they get to know their students very well, and they bring their teachers flowers. Some were really loaded down with bouquets.

This is a small portion of the students that attend OU Hristo Smirnenski.

The video shows the first graders entering the school.

Even some of the men teachers get flowers. The pavers people are standing on in this photo are brand new. The entire entry was redone this summer. The stork's nest on top of the smoke stack, however, has been there for a long time. I'm not sure when the storks left, but I haven't seen them for a while now.

In case you haven't guessed, the greeting in the title translates, "Happy First Day of School!" and was said enough that I finally memorized it. It is pronounced /chesteet purvi oocheben den/, and you have a whole year to work on it!

Veliko Tarnovo
I took a quick trip to Veliko Tarnovo in central Bulgaria a couple of weeks ago to visit friends and the ruins of a medieval fortress near there called Tsarevets. It was a Bulgarian stronghold from 1185 to 1393 before it was besieged by the Ottomans.

We took an elevator to the top of the tower in the background of the first photo.

I took this from the tower.

This is also from the tower.

You can learn a lot about Tsarevets online and see some incredible photos that others have taken. My good ones are all sideways, but I hope you enjoyed.

Peace. love and thanks for reading, Joan