When the Bells Ring, Winter Answers: Inside Bulgaria’s Kukeri Tradition
In winter, when darkness dominates the landscape, ancient Thracian-rooted rituals come alive in Bulgaria, helping communities battle the harsh season and welcome the promise of renewal.
Each year on January 13–14, the Surva festivities begin in the Pernik region, where Kukeri groups parade through villages and homes, offering blessings for health and prosperity.
Their costumes use symbolic colors: red for the sun and fertility, black for the earth, and white for water and light. These ancient winter customs continue to affirm resilience, hope, and the enduring cycle of nature.
One of the most ancient traditions is the Kukeri, performed during the winter months as preparation for spring. Men, and recently women, wear hand-made, grotesque masks from animal skins, along with bells that resound as they leap and dance.
Their role is to embody nature spirits and drive away evil forces that threaten the land’s fertility, the health of people, and the vitality of animals.
