Kukeri in Shiroka Luka

This past Sunday was the celebration of the beginning of Bulgarian Orthodox Lent and I went to a small village in the Rhodope Mountains called Shiroka Luka. Every year on the first of March they have a kukeri festival. The holiday is called "Baba Marta" or Grandmother March and it welcomes springtime and symbolizes cycles and rebirth. The celebration began with the kukeri from Shiroka Luka parading through the streets, making their way towards the square. Kukeri are men dressed in costumes (usually sheepskin) decorated to look like large beasts with copper bells around their waists that ring as the kukeri jump up and down. The kukeri are supposed to scare away the evil spirits and provide a good harvest for the village.

It began with some folk theater which was too strange for me to even being to understand. The kukeri were dancing and one of them had their head taken off (not really though children, it was pretend). Then Baba Marta (who was always a man dressed like an old woman) had twins and they danced around shaking the babies. There was some whipping, cross dressing, plowing of Baba Marta (literally, with a plow), dancing devils and priests flinging holy water at us. Then kukeri from different villages around Bulgaria came into the square, each with a band, folk dances and their own decorated masks. It was quite loud with the music, singing and the copper bells ringing.

After that was over a band began to play Bulgarian folk music and people began to dance horo. I was hungry so I decided to dance until the song ended. Luckily, after about 45 minutes of the same song I decided to give up. The band ended up playing, without stopping, for about four hours. The day was beautiful and even though snow still covered the ground dancing made you warm enough to take off your jacket.

Everywhere were stands of people selling meat, potatoes, candy, bells, rugs and martenista. Another tradition on Baba Marta is to give friends martenitsa, which are red and white yarn bracelets, tassels or dolls called Pizho and Penda. You tie them on your friends' wrists, wishing them health and success. You wear all of your martenitsa at all times until you see a stork or a budding tree (usually at the end of March) which symbolizes the beginning of spring.

My camera works so I have a lot of pictures posted! Chestita Baba Marta! Честита Баба Марта!

 

Shiroka Luka from above.

 

 

Me and a kukeri.

 

 

Plowing Baba Marta.

 

 

Battle between the priest and the devil.

 

 

This is one cool looking priest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children getting twigs to whack the backs of the adults.

 

 

 

 

Lots of horo dancing in the square.

 

My martenitsa.