On September 10, 2023, the Bulgarian school “Hristo Botev” in Washington officially opened its new academic year with a special program prepared by the teachers and students of Botev Academy.
Both young and older students sang and recited Bulgarian poems, and the applause they received was well-deserved.
A special guest at the ceremony was the Ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States, Mr. Georgi Panayotov. He congratulated the students, teachers, parents, and the leadership of the Bulgarian school. Following Bulgarian tradition, he sprinkled the students with water and wished them good health, symbolizing that the academic year would be filled with success.
“I accepted the invitation to be here today because the official opening of the academic year in Bulgaria is a celebration. It is a celebration because the Bulgarian people pay homage to education, to the school, to the teachers, to knowledge, and wisdom. You, children, should be proud that 250 million people around the world write and speak in Cyrillic, the Bulgarian alphabet,” Ambassador Panayotov said in his welcome speech.
On his part, the director of the Bulgarian school, Mr. Boyko Antonov, noted that the attention received from the Bulgarian Ambassador is a significant sign, showing that Bulgaria and the Bulgarian state do not forget their children and compatriots abroad. Boyko Antonov expressed his gratitude for the warm and heartfelt words of Mr. Georgi Panayotov and, in turn, wished a happy and successful academic year for Botev Academy.