On December 25, 2015, the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the Hayartun Center hosted New Year and Christmas celebration of the “Saint Movses Khorenatsi” Primary School. The hall was decorated like a forest glade thanks to the imagination of primary school teachers and the support of parents. The kids gathered together in the hall to demonstrate the people present, how they had prepared to meet Santa Claus, who would come and proclaim the start of the New 2016 Year.

The celebration started by the Lord’s Prayer and by blessing from the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. The attendees viewed a video clip about the kindergarten students letters to Santa Claus, letting him know what they would like for Christmas.

The Director of the Educational Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and Preschool Director, Eugenia Markosyan, gave opening remarks while the children appeared on the scene. The kids with their songs and dances illustrated the seasons of the year, in eager anticipation of winter and snowflakes, as well as congratulated the guests, teachers, parents and grandparents on the occasion of Upcoming Christmas and New Year.

The Very Rev. Father Khoren Hovhannisyan and the Armenian Embassy’s cultural attaché Elina Mkrtchyan shared their impressions. They spoke about winter style decorations, children’s right behavior, beautiful recitation, wonderful songs and dances, which bears witness to the fact that the kindergarten is an educational institution promoting Armenian upbringing of the new generation and the primary school develops its activity in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of the management of the Educational department and the teaching staff.

The Rev. Father Manuk Zeynalyan, whose kids are the primary school graduates and students, thanked preschool teachers, the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the Primate on behalf of all parents.

At the end of the event, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan referred to the activity of the Hayartun Center and the “Saint Movses Khorenatsi“ Preschool in particular, and stressed that every time the kindergarten appears in new splendor, with new decorations and stage direction; he expressed his gratitude to primary school teachers and all the employees for their devoted activity. While attaching importance to the role of the spiritual temple in the child’s upbringing, the Bishop emphasized the power of prayer in the man’s life and mentioned that kindergarten students start each day with blessing in the Surb Ethchmiadzin Church. The Primate brought warm greetings and conveyed best wishes from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA to Georgia, Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, and the benefactor of the Hayartun Center, Boris Saakov. The Bishop expressed his gratitude to RA Consul General in Batumi, Aram Grigoryan; the Director of the Administrative Department of the Diocese, Karen Yeritsyan; and primary school parents for bringing Christmas joy and providing children with gifts. His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan invited everyone to participate in the ceremonies of Christmas celebration and consecration of water.