On 20 December, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan hosted its annual open-air Christmas Book Fair, which for the third year in a row delighted residents and guests of Ashgabat. The event took place in the front yard of the Delegation and brought together the local community to celebrate books, culture, sustainability, and the festive spirit.
The main objective of the Christmas Book Fair was to promote literacy and a culture of reading, share European traditions of Christmas fairs, and encourage positive behaviour change by fostering a responsible and environmentally friendly attitude through book swapping.
This year, the Book Swap Point was particularly popular thanks to generous donations of useful and popular books in English and French from the Embassy of Germany in Turkmenistan and the French Institute in Turkmenistan. The initiative allowed guests to exchange books and give them a second life, thereby contributing to sustainable consumption practices.
The fair attracted a large number of visitors who explored a wide selection of books offered by well-known Ashgabat bookstores. The youngest book lovers actively participated in the Children’s quiz, testing their knowledge of favourite stories and literary characters, and took part in creative activities such as writing letters to Santa Claus, modelling and colouring clay figurines, and drawing and colouring. Traditional European treats and festive music contributed to a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making the fair an engaging space for visitors of all ages.
The Christmas Book Fair once again served as a platform for cultural exchange, highlighting the rich cultural traditions of the European Union while bringing people together around shared values of knowledge, sustainability, and community engagement.