site.btaStudents from Koynare Visit President's Office in Sofia to Celebrate Roma New Year

Students from the Hristo Smirnenski Secondary School in Koynare (Northwestern Bulgaria) and the school's management visited the President's office in Sofia Tuesday on the occasion of the Roma New Year, Vasilitsa.

The head of the President's office, Galab Donev, welcomed the guests and expressed his gratitude for the folklore greeting presented by the students for the holiday. "This shows that you deeply appreciate and preserve Roma traditions, which are part of the great cultural heritage of our country," Donev emphasized.

He highlighted the importance of the work of the Amalipe Centre for Inter-Ethnic Dialogue and Tolerance for the development of education and the inclusion of children from the Roma community, as well as the role of teachers in the Bulgarian education system.

On January 14, Bulgaria's Roma community celebrate their New Year, known as Vasilitsa, Vasilovden or Bango Vasil (the lame Vasil).