Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven has spoken out against the nestinari (fire dancers), prohibiting them from using icons during their rituals. This announcement was made on the Sliven Metropolis's official website and Facebook page.
In his statement, the bishop said that this custom was not original, describing it as plagiarism and imitation of pagan cults from ancient Greece and the Orient.
Nestinarstvo, a folk tradition honouring Saints Constantine and Helena, has strong roots in the Strandzha Mountains, where the celebration is called Kostadinovden. A key element of the ritual is dancing barefoot on burning embers. Both men and women can become nestinari, although women are required to be beyond childbearing age.
Nestinarstvo is also part of Bulgaria's cultural identity and is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
On November 15, 1910, Russian pilot Boris Maslenikov carried out the first airplane flight in Bulgaria. He took off in a Farman-type aircraft from an improvised airfield near Sofia. In the days that followed, several more demonstration flights were..
On 16 April 1879, the deputies of the Constituent Assembly debated, approved and signed Bulgaria’s first constitution, the Tarnovo Constitution. This document established the legal basis for the establishment of the new Bulgarian state following the..
8 November is celebrated as the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel. According to church legend, Archangel Michael commands the whole army of angels in the fight against the forces of darkness, and during the second coming of the Son of God, he will..
Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Fog