Like every year since 1996 at Lake Sammamish in Issaquah, WA were celebrated "24 of May - the Bulgarian Holiday of Slavic Alphabet and Bulgarian Culture", (the only one known in the world) organized by "Bulgarian Cultural And Heritage Center Of Seattle", lead by Elka Rouskov and Daniella Ivanova-Nyberg. Thank you both Elka and Daniella!
Slavic alphabet is created by two Bulgarian scientists Ciril and Methody one thousand years ago and accepted, together with Cristianity, later by Serbian’s, Macedonians, Russians, Ukrainians, Moldavians, Bellorussians and Mongolians ?!… (only alphabet from Russians) and known like Slavic alphabet. Later both Ciril na Methody were pronounced like ‘Saints". By the way – Bulgaria is one of the oldest modern country in the world, founded in 681 year by First Bulgarian King Isperih (south of Danube river in the land of Bisantium), and accepted Cristianity in 845 y. lead by king Boris I-st from neighbor country Bisantium. In this time Constantinople was the Cultural center if the world. But was difficult for Bulgarian people to read the Bible in Greek language and alphabet. That’s why Ciril and Methody, educated in Constantinople, created Bulgarian alphabet, on the base of the onlu 2 existed alphabet in this time – Greek and Latin. The enriched the new alphabet with adding of new single letters for the specific sounds " tch, sh, sht, iu, ia and u (double functions)". In now one other alphabets exists such kind of letters. That why all Bulgarians around the world celebrate "24 of May – Sts. Ciril and Methody Holday" last 13 centuries.
The party really was traditional picnic with musical programs by musicians set Oratnitza from Bulgaria, clarinetist and accordionist from Chicago and M9 – 9 musicians folklore band plying folklore dance music for all participants.
I met about 10 old Bulgarian friends from Seattle and guests to their kids from Bulgaria, like "Bai Slavi – the oldest immigrant, came in 1972 (who actually is 5 years younger than me…), Alex (Sasho) - we worked together in ADIC 18-11 years ago…, another Stancho from Ballard (1995-99), who bought house later in Redmond and produce now grapes shnaps with high quality (we tested it), the organisers - Elka and Daniella, the young guy Bicky, from another parties…Another young man Vladimir (Vlado) came co great me and told me we spoke on phone some time ago (he works for Alaska Airlines) and remembered my name, opened my Web site, saw my photos and recognized me from there.
I went especially to meet my new friends Zdravko and Raina (parents of Rumen). They came on my last Birthday together with my old friends Krasi ( we worked together in Balcankar in Sofia (1966-75)) - and Dora, his wife (parents of Nadia (wife of Rumen)). Until I waited for them met another "old" man with totally white hair George (who happened to be 17 years younger than me, born in 1954 y. lime Stanimir, the son of my sister). He traveled around the world more than me He has been some times in Brazil, Chilli, Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, but not in India, Argentina and Australia…), working like Chief cook on some containers caring sheep, based in Cyprus, Greece. His wife, daughter and son live here with their spouses and small kids. We tree old men (Zdravko, George and me spend all the time together eating and drinking (beer…). The pork stakes of Rumen was tick more than 1 inch and the baked potatoes of George were the most delicious, I have ever eaten. All my old friends met me with their friends and now I have more than 10 new BG friends. See you all on the next year 24 of May party.
After all my friends went home I moved to the Lake Sammamish beach and took some nice photos. I drove home in Ballard through I-90 and I-99 around downtown of Seattle and took another photos of the downtown on sunset. All of my photos taken on this day are included in this album. I included also some photos of the organizers and Sts. Ciril and Methody, downloaded from Seattle-Bg.org on Internet.
