“From 30.12.2022 to 1.01.2023, a group of animators from all over Bulgaria gathered in Stara Zagora to welcome the new year together in silence and prayer. We were welcomed in the monastery under construction. We got together by the end of the evening.
The next morning we started the day with mass, then gathered for breakfast. Then we watched a very emotional movie. Then we took a walk with a rosary around the beautiful park of the city. When we got back we split into three groups, two of which were given the opportunity to use what they had learned from the animators course and make some games for New Year’s Eve. The other group had the important task to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner, which was very tasty. The prepared games brought a lot of smiles to the participants, but they took a little longer than expected, and a few unforeseen circumstances did not allow us to play everything prepared. We had a hearty time the whole time. After dinner we reveled in karaoke performances. As midnight approached we went down to the chapel for adoration and a short reflection on the past year, we wrote a short message to our future selves. After the end of the adoration, we went out to admire the New Year’s dawn. Then we had fun with dances and songs. After this tiring day, we went to bed with the memories and emotions we had experienced.
We were very sad that this time spent together passed so quickly and we tried not to rush back to our homes.”
animator Nikolay, town of Shumen
