Traditions

Save Sofia NGO: Bulgaria's Capital Again Gloomy and Drab for Christmas and New Year

For yet another year, Sofia's Christmas decorations are more than miserable. The municipality relies on private companies to take out the old and unappealing garlands for advertising purposes, so that there is at least some feeling of the brightest holidays ahead. In recent years, nothing has changed - the decoration is banal, tasteless, inconspicuous and the same for years.

Turkey’s traditional strategy game added to UNESCO list

Mangala, a Turkish intelligence and strategy board game that is usually played by two persons or in groups, has been added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

With this inscription, the number of Turkey's cultural elements inscribed on the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage has reached 20.

Government publishes rules for holiday gatherings, churches

The rules based on which citizens will celebrate the holiday season and churches will operate were published in the government gazette on Tuesday.

Based on the law, which will be in effect from December 13 to January 7, 2021, gatherings at homes on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day will be limited to a maximum of nine people from two families.

Government announces limited reopening measures for Christmas holidays

The government on Friday announced limited reopening measures for the Christmas holidays amid pressure from the country's high epidemiological burden.

Retailers will operate in the form of online ordering and collections from the store, without customers entering the stores (known as curbside pick-up or click-and-collect service) from December 13 - January 7.

Seasonal stores open for business

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.

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