This December the signature urban space in the capital city, popular under the name „Small Five Corners“, became special again. On the eve of Christmas holidays UBB and Mastercard transformed the intersection of the 6-ti Septemvri, Han Krum and Neofit Rilski Streets, thus carrying residents and visitors into the fairy world of water. The topic of the fifth edition of Christmas at the Small 5 initiative, was inspired by the new long-term VODIM programme, which the international card operator and the biggest bank in terms of assets realize in support of Bulgaria’s water resources and nature. The Christmas decoration, the micro events and thematic corners during the festival had as their emphasis ice and glaciers, thus properly waving goodbye to the year 2025, announced by the United Nations as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.

The one-day urban festival on Sunday, 7th December, was launched at 12.00 o’clock with musical performances that continued throughout the day and triggered festive mood with children and adults. Themed food, drinks, including a specially built Vodim ice bar, children’s scientific class, workshops, charity bazaar with a focus on nature and biodiversity and various workshops added to the atmosphere, enjoyed by thousands of people who gave preference to this destination for their Sunday walk. 

The event climax was the turning on of the Christmas decoration lights. It was made at 05.00 P.M. by Christof De Mil, Chief Executive Officer of UBB and Traycho Traykov, Mayor of Sredets Administrative Region in the capital city. Christof De Mil was applauded by the crowd of people when he greeted them in Bulgarian language. In his speech he emphasized on the importance of water and on the responsibility we all have to preserve it. The leader of the biggest banking and insurance group in Bulgaria wished everybody happy and warm holidays, Christmas spirit, health and prosperity.

The VODIM programme is a long-term initiative of UBB and Mastercard, dedicated to the quality of water from spring to tap. It was launched in the autumn of 2025 with the installation of water purification dispensers at five schools in Sofia and the restoration and building of three fountains with wetlands in Vitosha Nature Park. Plans are to increase the number of dispensers and renovated fountains over the next years, as alongside with that, new lines of activity to be also developed, among which cleaning of plastic waste along the seacoast and at other water sources, mapping, cleaning and socializing the waterfalls in Bulgaria and others

The programme highlights involved the screening of the Expedition Antarctica film by Zhivko Konstantinov and the meeting with scientists from the Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, as well as the educational exhibition VODIM and the stall of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation at the charity bazaar. Christmas at the Small 5 initiative is being realized with the support of Mastercard and UBB, and with that of citizens, local businesses, the Small 5 community, the team of Imp-Act Agency, Sofia Municipality and Sredets Administrative Region. This event is part of Sofia Municipality’s 2025 Cultural Events Calendar.

During the festival presentations were also made of the environmental projects of the UBB Choose to Help donorship programme, as visitors could make a donation at both a POS terminal, as well as in a dedicated donation box. The external donorship campaign will continue until 31.12.2025, and after that the donations, raised through the internal campaign, multiplied by the additional bonus from UBB for every single donation and by adding to that the funds, raised through the external donorship campaign, will be provided to 20 organizations, to support the realization of their projects in the field of healthcare, social activities, culture and education and preservation of the environment.