Share

Text size

Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Yambol immersed in the magic of the Kuker games

published on 3/17/24 4:16 PM

Photo: kukerlandia

Thousands of cowbells of different sizes and shapes filled the streets of Yambol with chiming, jingling and ringing at the 25th International Masquerade Festival "Kukerlandia".

Photo: Nezabravka Kirova

Згдшд

More than two thousand mummers - called kukeri, sourvakari, babugeri, camillari, etc. - showed the richness of the masquerade rite from all over Bulgaria. Nearly 50 groups of mummers took part in the parade.

Photo: Daniela Kostova

They were judged by a jury of folklorists, ethnologists, ethnographers and choreographers.

Photo: Nezabravka Kirova

"The groups should stick to the authenticity of the tradition and not rely on attractiveness and cultural engineering," urged Dr Iglika Mishkova of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Women and children have no place in these rituals, which are typically only for men, she explained. "If we go into this role reversal, we would really expect to see men as lazarki (a wedding tradition for women only - ed)," Mishkova added.

Photo: Daniela Kostova

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!

Radio Bulgaria Folklore kukeri kukerlandia tradition yambol

Gallery

More from category

"Lazaruvane" - a rite symbolising a girl's "coming of age".

Lazarus Saturday is widely known in Bulgaria as Lazarovden , celebrated by Orthodox Bulgarians on the day before Palm Sunday. The main rite is the lazaruvane - a traditional custom centred on themes of love and marriage. Girls over the age of 16,..

published on 4/12/25 7:30 AM

In the afternoon, the girls will also visit the Etara Architectural and Ethnographic Complex near the nearby town of Gabrovo.

St Lazarus Day celebrated with traditional lazaruvane in Tryavna

The historic town of Tryavna will celebrate St Lazarus' Day, traditionally held on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The Bulgarian custom, known as lazaruvane , is closely linked to the themes of love and marriage and will be re-enacted this..

published on 4/11/25 4:50 PM

The cuckoo calls for the first time, animals awaken from their winter sleep on Blagovets

The feast of the Annunciation (Blagoveshtenie in Bulgaria) is a holy day , a symbol of God’s infinite mercy to people and especially to women, blessed to bear new life, but also an embodiment of the eternal human longing for something better in the..

published on 3/25/25 11:05 AM

1
2
3
4
5
6
..
10

WEATHER

Pick city: Sofía

Partly Cloudy
Min: 2 | Max: 25

BULGARIA IN PICTURES

Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?

shopify analytics ecommerce
tracking