Kukeri, Mummers, Bulgarian folklore customs

The ‘Kukeri’ games take place in February and March. With their strange clothes made of fur, a mixture of national costumes and animal masks with horrifying faces, ringing bells, the games and customs with their lively dancing reflect the eternal fight between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil.

On the last Sunday before Lent, masked kukeri perform ritualistic processional dances to ward off evil spirits from the houses. This tradition is traced back to Dionysius, the God of wine.