Next: about 13 to 14 Jan 2027
Kukeri and Surva
Men in huge furred masks and clanging bells walk the villages of Bulgaria to drive away evil spirits and bring fertility to the year.
About Kukeri and Surva
Kukeri are costumed men who go from house to house in winter, in a rite that is said to scare off evil spirits and bless the household, fields and animals. They wear shaggy fleeces, tall carved or horned masks and big bells at the waist, and the noise is part of the charm. Kukeri season varies by region, running from the weeks around New Year to the start of Lent, and the Surva festival in Pernik, in late January, is the best known gathering. Similar bell-and-mask figures exist elsewhere in the Balkans. The custom was once a village rite for men, and today is also a staged festival that draws visitors, with teams competing for prizes.
Also part of it, and being written: Kukeri (The masked figures.), Surva (The festival in Pernik.), Carnival (The wider European masking season.).
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kukeri" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.