The ritual takes place on the saints' feast in late spring and blends Christian beliefs with much older ones. A drum and a bagpipe set the rhythm. In 2009 the tradition was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. It's unique — watch with respect.
Explore Bulgaria
The fire dancers
In a few villages of the Strandzha Mountains, "нестинари"
(fire dancers) dance barefoot on glowing embers — "жар"
— holding icons of Saints Constantine and Helena.
Artkostov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
History of Bulgaria
An illustrated history of Bulgaria
Explore Bulgaria
Wishes for every occasion
Bulgarians love good wishes.
Sjordanov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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.
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).