More than 12,000 participants chased evil at "Surva" mummers festival in Pernik (see pics)

More than 12,000 Kukeri, Survakari, Babugeri and Dzhamilari. and other masked men and women chased evil during the 30th International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva", held in the town of Pernik from 26 to 28 Janary.

Mummers groups from the country and the region of Pernik performed on stage at the largest and most prestigious festival in the Balkans.

International Mummers Festival “Surva” started today in Pernik

Record number of children participating in “Surva” 2024 mummers festival in Pernik

Images by BTA

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

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.

The ‘Mummers’ masks are decorated with threads, ribbons, laces and usually represent animals like goats, bulls, rams, or even chicken. Some of the masks are double-faced. On one of the sides, the nose is snubbed and the face is good-humored, on the other side, the nose is hooked and the face is ominous. Those masks symbolize the good and the bad which co-exist in the world.

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.

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.

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