In folk belief, their noise and dancing chase away evil spirits and bring health and a good harvest. The festival, "Сурва"
, takes place in Pernik at the end of January. One mummer is a "кукер"
; many are "кукери"
.
Explore Bulgaria
Kukeri — the mask dancers
In winter, especially around New Year and before Lent, groups of "кукери"
go through towns and villages in huge masks, goat and sheep furs and heavy bells tied at the waist.
Sjordanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
History of Bulgaria
An illustrated history of Bulgaria
Explore Bulgaria
Boby Dimitrov · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
Christmas Eve
On 24 December — "Бъдни вечер"
— the family sits down to a meatless dinner with an odd number of dishes, often seven, nine or eleven: stuffed peppers, beans, "сарми"
(vine- or cabbage-leaf rolls), walnuts, "ошав"
(dried-fruit compote).
EvelinaRibarova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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Easter eggs
For "Великден"
(Easter) Bulgarians dye eggs on Holy Thursday or Saturday — the first one is always red.
MichaelElfial · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
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Coffee culture
In Bulgaria "едно кафе"
means an espresso — short and strong.