Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

In January the kukeri come out in Bulgaria to banish evil

Photo: BGNES

With the start of the new year comes the time when people in Bulgaria welcome guests to their homes most often. It is said that guests can come uninvited on a name-day, and January is the month of the year that is just packed with name days. It is also the month connected with kukeri (mummer) games.

In towns and villages people throw their homes open to the dancing kukeri. It is said that with their fearsome masks, they banish the forces of evil lurking all around us, humans.

In Zhabokrut village near Kyustendil, for example, there are two bands of kukeri who start making the rounds of the homes in the village as early as 8 AM on 1 January, and they are welcome guests in every home. The bands consist of men of different age, among them university and school students, men of various professions, there are even policemen. At the very start of the year they go to all the houses dressed in traditional costumes made of animal skins and hides. It is a tradition to give them meat, bread, banitsa and wine, as well as small coins.

Photos: archive

More from category

Esther Willems and the rhythm of Bulgarian folk dances in The Hague

Esther Willems from the Netherlands continues to attract people from different cities and nationalities to her club for Bulgarian folk dances, established in The Hague and named "Zora". It was founded in 2017 and then 13 people..

published on 8/18/24 10:28 AM

The feast of Panagia starts in Kyustendil

In the middle of August in Kyustendil, Southwestern Bulgaria, the "Panagia - Raising of the Bread" holiday takes place. The holiday is directly related to the church holiday "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary", marked on August..

published on 8/14/24 2:42 PM

Embroidery festival presents the traditions of this craft in the village of Vardim

A three-day embroidery festival takes place in the square of the village of Vardim near Svishtov, the organizers reported. At its core, the festival promotes a particularly colorful part of our lifestyle and traditions -..

published on 7/27/24 8:45 AM