Christmas music

The holiday season brings together two favorite habits: reading traditional fairy tales and listening to Christmas carols from the golden age of pop music.

The voluntary group Full Moon Hikes invites walkers on a holiday stroll in the heart of Athens to sing traditional New Year's carols. The walk will start at the War Museum at noon, take in the National Garden, the house of the Greek poet Kostis Palamas, and into the scenic neighborhood of Anafiotika.

In anticipation of the festive season, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced bolstered security measures set to fortify key locations across Sofia. The press center of the Ministry disclosed plans to intensify police presence at pivotal hubs, aiming to ensure public safety during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The B&E Goulandris Foundation has planned a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Christmas holiday with classic family movie screenings at its amphitheater. From "Home Alone," "The Lion King" and, of course, "Marry Poppins," the museum invites families to get into the festive spirit with their little ones. Check out the full program at goulandris.gr. Tickets are 5 euros per screening.

"First we meet, then we market," is the motto of the Meet Market, which returns for its annual Christmas extravaganza at Technopolis (athens-technopolis.gr) in Gazi.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the holiday spirit as Bulgaria's cities gear up for a dazzling array of Christmas markets. From Sofia to Plovdiv to Ruse, these bustling markets promise delightful treats, heartwarming activities, and festive shopping opportunities for everyone.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra — the heavy metal, classical music, theater production, pyrotechnics and laser lightshow hybrid — will return this winter.

Twice as many foreign tourists and higher prices for the upcoming holidays. These are the forecasts of experts in the tourism industry. About half a million people will be able to afford a holiday in Bulgaria, and about 60,000 abroad. Despite the measures, there are already resorts where all places are occupied.

As a year-round tourist hub, Cappadocia offers winter holiday-goers scenic views and festive seasonal activities on the landscape covered in swathes of snowfall. (Source: AA)

The passage to a new year has been accompanied since ancient times by customs and rituals that are being observed even to this date, particularly in Romanian villages.