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All the centers for community development, created by Center Amalipe under “Promoting the fieldwork in traditional and marginalized Roma communities” project joined their efforts to the national celebrations of January 14 - St. Basil – the Roma New Year.  Although this holiday is not so popular or not even known in some of the towns where the centers for community development operate, the community moderators supported the idea “Vasilitsa” (St. Basil) to be become a day of the Roma culture, a symbol of the originality and the richness of the Roma folklore in Bulgaria.

 By initiative of the Center for community development – Peshtera and the community moderator there – Mrs. Angelina Demirova - the children from two elementary schools (“Mihail Kumanov” and “Lyuben Karavelov”) in the town of Peshtera served their wishes in occasion of the Roma New Year to the Municipality of Peshtera. Children were personally and warmly welcomed by the Mayor Mr. Georgy Kozarev. Pupils presented a rich program representing the Roma traditions on “Vasilitsa”. There was served “banitsa s kasmeti” (fortune pie).

Concerning Vasilitsa in Etropole in the early morning of January 13 the students from the municipal schools “Hristo Yasenov” high school, “Hristo Botev” elementary school and the Professional High school in Etropole presented cards and made “sourvakane” to the Mayor of Etropole – Mr. Bogomil Georgiev. Organizer of the initiative there is the community moderator – Mrs. Ganka Vasileva. The ritual of wishing good health and luck for the Roma New Year was also represented in front of all the servants of Municipality of Etropole; “Social Assistance” Department; “Child Protection” Bureau; Job Center – Etropole; the hospital and the police, and at least but not last the local chitalishte (cultural house) “Todor Peev”. Everywhere the students were greeted very warmly and received gifts and goodies. In this January day the icebound Etropole was lit by the children's smiles and the festive mood of Vasilitsa.

In Kameno students from the town visited the building of Municipality of Kameno; “Social Assistance” Department; Police; Job center. The children “sourvakane” all the local institutions and also brought handmade greeting cards and a traditional handmade bread for health. The celebration was organized by initiative of our community moderators Jordan Stanev and Minka Dimitrova.

The celebration of Vasilitsa in Byala Slatina started in the early morning of January 13 when the 4-graders from “Hristo Smirnenski” Elementary school visited the local institutions accompanied by the community moderator from Center for community development – Byala Slatina, Mrs. Galya Mladenova. The children visited Municipality of Byala Slatina where they were personally welcomed by the Mayor eng.  Ivo Tsvetkov.  There were also the head of “Education and culture”, “Social Assistance” Directorate and the local Job Center. The pupils who study “Folklore of ethnics – Roma folklore” presented a program with songs, dances and wishes for luck. Later in the afternoon in the lunch-space of “Hristo Smirnenski” elementary school the party continued. There participants were not only the children from the school but also those from the “Sunny” kindergarten as well as volunteers of CCD-B. Slatina.  There was represented the ritual “Vechernica” or how we welcome the Roma New Year. There were feast prepared traditional dishes and there was explanation about each meal and how is related with the tradition.

In Novi Pazar the celebration also started in the early morning. At 9 am in “Nikola Vaptsarov” Primary school there started a special discussion with the participation of teachers and pupils in order to be explained “Vasilitsa” as a holiday and how important it is for all the Roma people in Bulgaria. The discussion was leaded by the community moderators from Center for community development – Mrs. Emiliya Aldinova and Mr. Yusein Shakir. The local Roma people from the group of “millet” do not celebrate this day but showed a strong interest about the feasts of the Roma in Western Bulgaria. Later in the day pupils from the school together with the community moderators visited Municipality Novi Pazar and the local institutions in the town. The children greeted the Mayor and his team presenting handmade cards and a traditional bread for the feast.

In Pavlikeni “Vasilitsa” was celebrated by giving congratulations to the municipal administration. Children from the villages of Batak and Varbovka “sourvak” the Mayor of Pavlikeni – Eng. Emanuil Manolov and his servants on three languages: Bulgarian, Turkish and Rromanes. Children began with the Bulgarian wishes “red apple in the garden; yellow mammoth in the forest, sweet grapes in the wine…” Then they went to the wishes in Rromanes: “Sourva, sourva, St. Basil is coming with his sons and daughters bringing health and luck to this house” The final wishes were in Turkish: “Be loved, be sweet, and be strong as iron and light as straw. By these words I give you just a little, God will give you more!” The Mayor gave to each of the kids a small banknote a bag with candies and goodies. The other one also gave small coins in the hands of the children in order everything wished to become true. “We organize the celebration of “Vasilitsa” together with children and families in Pavlikeni for first time” shared the community moderator from Center for Community Development in Pavlikeni – Mr. Valentin Vasilev. “The Roma-Bourgudzhii and Kalderashi as well as part of the Roma-Muslims in the municipality celebrate each year “Bango Vasili” together with their families and today we showed to all the community for first time what it is” explained Valentin.