International Mummers Festival “Surva” starts tonight in Bulgaria’s Pernik

A record number of participants will present their traditions and customs in the 28th edition of the international festival of masquerade games "Surva", which opens today, 25^th of January, at 6 pm in the Bulgarian town of Pernik.

More than 7,500 participants from 9 countries are expected to take part. A grand opening ceremony will mark the start of the festival outside the Palace of Culture in Pernik. The carnival processions of mummers will begin at 10:00 on 26^th of January and will run until Sunday 27^th of January.

In 2015, “Surva” was listed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Mummers (Kukeri in Bulgarian) is a Bulgarian tradition of Thracian origins. In ancient times the old Thracians held the Mummers Play in honour of god Dionysus.

The Mummers plays are performed by men, dressed in colourful hand-made costumes and wearing scary masks. Each wears a leather belt around the waist with huge copper bells (chanove) attached to it.

In different ethnographic regions of Bulgaria men put on masks around New Year, during the twelve days of Christmas (Christmas till Epiphany), on Sirni Zagovezni (Forgiveness Day), and on Todorova Nedelia (the Sunday before the start of the Easter Fast).

The symbolic meaning of the winter and pre-spring rituals is related to the end of the old year, the beginning of the new and to the awakening of nature for new life. These rituals represent the wish for a rich harvest, good health and fertility for humans and farm animals.

The dance of the masked men is a mystic unity of rhythm, sound, and colour. Moving in a special step, mummers walk around, jump and dance special magic dances to scare away the evil spirits, to celebrate the beginning of spring and hopes for a good harvest, health, land fertility, and happiness.

The sounds of the bells hanging from the belts of the dancers are believed to strengthen the protective properties of the masks.

The festival held in Pernik is the oldest festival of the masquerade games in Bulgaria. The first edition was opened on 16th of January, 1966.

In the different parts of Bulgaria mummers are called Kukeri, Survakari, Babugeri and Dzhamilari. This ancient custom became even more popular after 1985, when the festival gained international-event status.