Christmas liveliness among Bulgarians in Las Vegas

When Christmas comes, the lights of Las Vegas seem to shine brighter but for the Bulgarian community in the city the real magic comes from shared traditions, songs in the native language and the desire to be part of a community, even thousands of kilometers from home. Christmas here is more than gathering around the table - it is a return to the roots, sharing and empathy.

One of the most anticipated initiatives this year was the Bulgarian Christmas concert "Christmas Magic", which brought together compatriots of different ages. The organizer is Diana Nikolova - founder of the "Bulgarche" school and representative of the Bulgarian Ladies Business Club in Las Vegas. On stage, she partnered with singer Ivaylo Gyurov, and their duet presented the audience with a new Christmas song.

"People have said it - ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’. Christmas is a family holiday above all. I associate it with cleanliness, with snow, with family comfort. For me, Christmas is a very bright holiday. And now is the time to wish everyone to be together on Christmas", Ivaylo Gyurov told Radio Bulgaria.

For the first time, American children also participated in the concert and performed the Bulgarian winter song "Over the Silent Fields".

The audience also applauded the children from the theater troupe "Dwarves in Drawers", the students from the "Bulgarche" school and the dancers from the "Zharava" folklore formation led by Iva Slavova.

The Christmas festivities in Las Vegas also have a strong charitable dimension. This year, the Bulgarian Christmas tree lighting ceremony was dedicated to a cause – supporting children with special needs and the Gold Foundation in Bulgaria. The handmade decorations were created by mothers of children with special needs, students from the “Rodna Rech” Children's Academy in Las Vegas, and volunteers from the community. The campaign raised $2,256 to help children with oncological diseases.

The head of the "Rodna Rech" academy, Radostina Boyadzhieva, pointed out the importance of traditions:

"For me, Christmas is a time for togetherness, warmth and gratitude. Even though we are far from our homeland, this holiday reminds us of who we are and where we come from. Christmas brings that special spirit of kindness, when people turn to each other with more humanness, while families, no matter where in the world they are, manage to feel closer. Bulgarian traditions are constantly present – ​​in the language, in the food, in the holidays we celebrate, in the songs and dances that children learn at school. At the "Rodna Rech" children's academy, this is our mission: to preserve the connection between generations and to give children that cultural root that helps them grow up confident that they belong to two homelands.

The Bulgarian Christmas Tree in Vegas is placed in the popular Bulgarian restaurant of Rumen Stefanov and Vladimira Stefanova, where the short film "The Spirit of Christmas" was also screened with the special participation of director Trayana Nesheva. The event was made possible with the kind assistance of Rosi Petkova and Las Vegas Good Reads and the Ladies Business Club of Las Vegas.

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The Christmas spirit also creates magic in the family businesses of Bulgarians overseas. As soon as we step through the threshold of Lili and Mitko Luchkov's pastry shop, we are enveloped by the aroma of home - warm bread, freshly baked Bulgarian banitsa. The Bulgarian pastry shop was also honored by the prestigious Review Journal and the entrepreneurs share that behind their success stand perseverance and faith.

"The recipe is a lot of work and not giving up. There's nothing easy here, you just have to be very, very persistent," says Lili Luchkova. "2025 was a very difficult year for us, but also full of hope. This is the year in which we decided to make many changes in our business and as a result the new vision of our pastry shop and the new brand were born. The awards came this year, so we look towards 2026 with a lot of hope and optimism for something even better."

The Bulgarian-American Association of Nevada has organised many events for the Bulgarian community throughout the year. Days before Christmas, they delighted children from Bulgarian schools with Christmas gifts.

Bulgarian schools and cultural centers in Las Vegas organize various cultural events - recitals, dance performances and workshops for children, which contribute to the Christmas spirit in the community. One of the active Bulgarians is the organizer of the "Free Bulgaria" football tournament - Mladen Raychev.

"Christmas for me is mostly a family holiday. It seems that when Christmas comes the world starts to slow down. We become better, more humane. We feel the need to help a little more. We start to appreciate the really important things."

Christmas in Las Vegas shows that distance cannot erase belonging. With songs, traditions, charity and caring for children, the Bulgarian community proves that the spirit of the holiday lives where there are people ready to share it.