Where Are The Ceremonies Of Kukeri Performed?

Kukeri is an ancient Bulgarian pagan tradition performed during the winter months, particularly around New Year’s and the carnival season. The tradition involves participants, known as Kukeri, donning elaborately crafted masks and dancing to dispel evil and invite good. The Kukeri dancers, who are men covered in goat skins and monstrous masks, gather to chant and dance, wearing home-made wooden masks, animal furs, horns, and other items.

The masked performances of Kukeri have survived from pre-Christian times and are still performed in multiple villages across Bulgaria by men and women covered in goat skins and monstrous masks. They chase evil spirits away during the winter months and around the Lenten season. The Balkans is home to an ancient pagan tradition where magic and mystery still hold a sacred place in the cosmic order.

In western Bulgaria, the kukeri dance around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, called survakari or babugeri, and they wear spectacular costumes. Rituals held around the New Year are known as Surva, while those performed around Easter are known as Kukeri. Today, the International Festival of the Kukeri is a powerful testament to Bulgaria’s enduring connection to its ancient roots.

What are the taboos of Bulgaria?

The avoidance of food and drink from a visiting household, the insistence on paying one’s own share of the meal, and the failure to utilize formulaic expressions, such as “Happy month!,” can be regarded as taboo and met with disapproval.

Which countries practice paganism?

The collapse of Marxist-Leninist governments in the Eastern bloc in the 1990s led to the emergence of modern Pagan groups in the region. These groups often formed homegrown traditions emphasizing national identity, such as Romuva and Dievturība in the Baltic states, Rodnovery in Slavic countries, and small groups worshipping pre-Christian deities from various regions. These groups often called themselves “reconstructionists” and focused on fidelity to historical and archaeological source material.

To combat discrimination, modern Pagan groups often collaborated to form organizations like the Pagan Federation and the European Congress of Ethnic Religions. This contributed to a sense of collective modern Pagan identity, with many individuals identifying as “Pagans” rather than members of a specific modern Pagan religion. However, there were always modern Pagan groups excluded from these communal efforts, particularly those with extreme political views.

Modern Pagan religions have huge variation, making it impossible to identify a single unifying feature beyond drawing on pre-Christian religions of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Many modern Pagans see themselves as continuing these extinct traditions, while others view their practices as a revival of extinct religions or new religions inspired by the past.

What is the pagan ritual in Bulgaria?

Kukeri are men who participate in an ancient Bulgarian pagan tradition to scare away winter spirits. They gather to chant and dance, wearing homemade masks, animal furs, horns, and sequins. They carry heavy belts with bells that can weigh up to 70kg. The ritual has continued undisturbed, even during Communist times. The higher the social status of a kuker, the more financial support they give to the group. The ritual is preserved in one region by a Gypsy tribe and its leader, who lends all their belongings to younger boys.

Where can I see kukeri?

Kukeri festivals in Bulgaria are organized by a variety of organizations, though only those designated as “Surva” in Pernik and “Starchevata” in Razlog have been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Such festivals frequently encompass communal feasts, musical performances, and dancing, thereby fostering a sense of community spirit and unity. A brief documentary on this tradition has been produced by The New Yorker magazine.

What is the mask tradition in Bulgaria?

The Kukeri is a significant masked ritual in rural Bulgarian villages, carried forward from the Thracians. Participants, male only, wear sheepskin garments, scary masks, and copper bells on their belts. They dance and sing Christmas songs and chants to scare away evil spirits or ghosts believed to return to living beings in winter. The ritual’s esoteric meaning is that through prayer to the god of vegetation and magical operations, a sympathetic influence over nature can be obtained through the energy of phallic dances performed during orgiastic rites and the final act of plowing and sowing, which increases fertility.

Where is Kukeri celebrated?

Kukeri, elaborately costumed Bulgarian men, perform traditional rituals to scare away evil spirits. These rituals are found throughout the Balkans and Greece, including Romania and the Pontus. The Kukeri’s costumes cover most of their body and include decorated wooden masks of animals and large bells attached to the belt. They walk and dance through villages around New Year and before Lent, offering good harvest, health, and happiness for the year ahead.

They visit people’s houses at night to avoid being caught by the sun. After parading around the village, they gather at the village square to dance wildly and amuse the people. Kukeri rituals vary by region but remain largely the same in essence.

19th-century scholars considered the Kukeri to have a pre-Christian Thracian origin, possibly a remnant of a Thracian cult of the god Dionysus. However, modern scholarship generally rejects this view, and they are now considered part of a general Balkan mumming tradition that emerged in the early modern period, influenced by Greek, Slavic, Albanian, and Turkish practices.

What is the festival in Bulgaria in January?

Surva is the largest International Masquerade Games on the Balkans, held annually in Pernik, Bulgaria, from 26-28 January 2024. The festival promotes ancient Bulgarian customs and traditions, including the passing of ‘hlopki’ bells from generation to generation. Participants cherish these bells, which are considered part of the kuker’s kin and can weigh a few kilograms. The town of Pernik, with a population of 93, 000 people, has its oldest human traces dating back to the 6th millennium BC.

Historians estimate that Pernik was founded around the same time as Troy. The festival is a significant part of Bulgarian folklore and traditions, and the town’s rich history and rich cultural heritage make it a must-see event for visitors.

How old is Kukeri?

Kukeri costumes are ancient folk art pieces that have been around for over 4, 000 years. They are believed to have originated in Bulgaria between Christmas and the Epiphany (January 6), and sometimes come on the Sunday before Lent. Today, the kukeri tradition is strong in Bulgaria, with large parades replacing individual home visits. The annual Surva Festival of Masquerade Games in January features kukeri from all around Bulgaria, offering a chance to see these amazing outfits in person. However, due to their association with fertility, some of their dances and productions may be considered bawdy. For a PG look at the kukeri, check out a video from National Geographic.

How to be polite in Bulgaria?

Bulgarian greetings are formal and reserved, with a firm handshake, direct eye contact, and appropriate verbal greetings. Individual greetings are more formal than North Americans, with titles followed by surnames. Friends and family address each other with first names and hugs or kisses. Business cards are common but not essential among military personnel, and one side should be printed in Bulgarian. Bulgarians enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, walking, and touring.

Movies are popular among urban adults, but visiting with friends and neighbors is less common. Men socialize by fixing things together, telling jokes, or gathering at clubs. Polite manners and neat appearance in public are important.

What is the unique Babugeri tradition in Bulgaria?

Masquerade traditions are prevalent worldwide, including Bulgaria’s Babugeri, who wear full-body animal costumes and perform rituals to banish evil spirits. These men are seen at the Surova folk feast in the Pernik region. The photographer’s work involves photographing these figures, who are dressed in their own landscape and pose for photographs. The costumes are made of goat fur, which requires eight goats to make and are heavy, making them expensive for young and fit men.

The photographer has photographed many different masquerade traditions worldwide, including those in Borneo, where costumes are made with grass and banana leaves mixed with forest materials. These costumes can be more complex, with extra layers of old clothes and fabrics. In Britain, these traditions are also present with characters like Jack in the Green in England and The Burryman in Scotland. Regardless of the attire, the feeling of facing something from nature is shared, creating a unique and powerful moment for the photographer.

Who are the furry goatmen in Bulgaria?

Masquerade traditions are prevalent worldwide, with Bulgaria’s Babugeri men wearing full-body animal costumes to perform rituals to banish evil spirits. These men can be seen at the Surova folk feast in the Pernik region. The photographer’s work involves photographing these figures, who are dressed in their own landscape and pose for photographs. The costumes are made of goat fur, which requires eight goats to make and are heavy, making them expensive for young and fit men.

The photographer has photographed many different masquerade traditions worldwide, including those in Borneo, where costumes are made with grass and banana leaves mixed with forest materials. These costumes can be more complex, with extra layers of old clothes and fabrics. In Britain, there are similar traditions with characters like Jack in the Green in England and The Burryman in Scotland. Regardless of the attire, the feeling of facing something from nature is shared, creating a unique and powerful moment for the photographer.