The European Commission Representation in Ireland, in cooperation with the Representation in Bulgaria, organised a video link-up between a school class in Ireland and one in Bulgaria. Photo by EC
In the beginning of December, the European Commission Representation in Ireland, in cooperation with the Representation in Bulgaria, organised a video link-up between a school class in Ireland and one in Bulgaria.
The event was reported on the official EC website.
Thirty-two students from grade 4 in the O'Connell's Primary School in Dublin were able to speak directly with eight of their peers from "Daga" School in the Sofia suburb Bankya.
The children discussed school life, sports, music, holidays, their families, and different Christmas traditions in the two countries. The Irish students discovered that Christmas is just as big a tradition in Bulgaria as in Ireland.
The Irish school children sang "Silent Night" in Irish and English as well as some other traditional Christmas carols for their new Bulgarian friends.
The Bulgarian children responded with a short performance of the Koleduvane, a ritual traditionally performed in folk costumes as part of the Christmas Eve celebrations. They also showed the vegetarian dishes and bread that are traditionally served on Christmas Eve in Bulgaria, and sang the Christmas Koledari folk song.
The children wished each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Bulgarian, English and Irish and made plans to hold further video-link ups between the two schools.
O'Connell's Primary School was the first Christian Brothers' School to open in Dublin 175 years ago and counts many famous people among its past pupils. Daga School is a small private primary school established in 1999 in the spa town of Bankya.
The teachers who helped to organise the event are Jackie Carroll and Claire Quinn from Dublin and Silvia Georgieva and Albena Krustanova from Sofia.