Seasons

Consumers are set to spend an average of 34% less this festive season, which practically means that a third of Christmas turnover will be lost this year, according to a survey conducted by the Association of Business and Retail Sales of Greece (SELPE).

A woman browses Christmas decoration products in a shop in central Athens on Monday. Seasonal shops selling festive decorations were allowed to open 18 days ahead of Christmas, and have been excluded from the lockdown on retail stores that has been in place since November 7. The seasonal stores are open from 7 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Also as of Monday, supermarkets are also selling Christmas items.

Nearly 87% of Bulgarians will celebrate Christmas. Those who declare that they will not celebrate are mostly representatives of religious societies. For 35% of people, Christmas is a more important holiday than New Year's, but the largest share (43%) believe that the two holidays are equally important.

Turkey's president on Sept. 30 extended good wishes to the Jewish community celebrating Rosh Hashanah festival in Turkey and around the world.

The first for the year longer holiday for workers is for Easter, which will be celebrated on April 28th. The holiday will take a total of 4 days - from Friday, April 26th to Monday, April 29th, inclusive.
 

Retail offers and sales for 2019 started before the change of the new year at several outlets across Greece, even though winter sales do not officially kick off until Monday, January 14, and run through Thursday, February 28.

Christmas and New Year approach. Bulgarians are already planning their vacations during the holidays and booking their trips. But how are we going to rest this year?
 
The bigger cluster of non-working days is around Christmas. Officially they will be on 24, 25 and 26 December. However, festivities for many may begin on 22 December - Saturday.
 

The country's majority Christian denomination - Eastern Orthodox - this year celebrates Easter on April 8.

The share of retailers who reported a decline in sales over the Christmas period has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in the last few years, according to a survey by the Institute of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Enterprises (INEMY-ESEE).

 We are just a mere few days away from Christmas - the most valued holiday out of the entire year and the hysteria about shopping has begun. Overcrowded shopping malls, promising attractive rates, and huge shopping bags are an increasingly common sight in recent days. And the peak in shopping will be this weekend. Then we are expected to spend the most, Nova TV reported.