The Kukeri
Every winter in Bulgaria, men dressed as monsters in towering masks and heavy bells dance through the villages, to drive away the evil spirits.
What was reported
Kukeri are men who dress in great costumes of fur and coloured wool, with tall masks like horned beasts, and heavy bronze bells hung around their waists. Between New Year and the start of Lent, they move through villages in groups, dancing, jumping and making the bells clang.
The noise and the frightening masks are meant to scare off evil spirits and bring a good harvest, health and luck for the year ahead.
Explanations offered
The tradition probably goes back to pre-Christian rites to welcome spring. The Surva festival in Pernik is one of the biggest, gathering thousands of performers, and the Surova festivities of the same region are on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- When
- Every winter
- Where
- Pernik, Bulgaria
- Witnesses
- Bulgarian villages
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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