On December 25, 2016, St. Gregory the Illuminator Kindergarten celebrated New Year and Christmas at the Alexander Mantashev Educational Cultural Youth Center in Batumi (Armenian Diocese in Georgia). The hall’s Christmas decorations, as well as the Annunciation scene, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Adoration of the Magi, casted the attendees’ minds back on time when Jesus was born, according to the Gospel. Before the event’s start, Director of the Alexander Mantashev Center, Sona Hovhannisyan, gave opening remarks and congratulated the people present on the upcoming New Year and Christmas.

Later, the event began. The kindergarten students presented the amazing story of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ; they were reciting poems about New Year, singing and dancing. The beautiful event with the participation of the children concluded with the good news: “Christ is born and revealed!”

Following the performance, Rev. Father Ararat Gumbalyan, Pastor of the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior) in Batumi and of Armenian community in Adjara, Guria and Imereti; delivered a congratulatory speech. Father Ararat transmitted the blessings and New Year and Christmas wishes of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, addressed to the people present. Rev. Father Ararat Gumbalyan highly valued the performances presented by the children, which offers a credible witness to the dedicated work of teachers, and wished that in the upcoming year the teachers continued their work with renewed enthusiasm, as a result of which the number of kindergarten students would grow.
At the end of the event long awaited Santa Clause appeared on the scene and gave New Year presents to all the children.