Celebrating Traditions – Surva Masquerade Games 2018




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  • 2018-02-01 23:00:24
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[caption id="attachment_38363" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A kuker's mask, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A kuker's mask, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] For a 27th time the Municipality of Pernik organized the International Masquerade Games Festival - Surva 2018 on Jan. 26-28. Initially a pagan Thracian ritual, the kukers' games have grown into a Bulgarian tradition. In 2016, UNESCO recognized the festival for its cultural significance. The event draws people from different regions in Bulgaria, who come to present arts and crafts from the past as well as their own handmade kuker costumes. The ancient ritual is often associated with the change of the calendar year and the arrival of spring. However, the true idea behind it lays down in the purpose of the costumes people wear. The latter are designed in such manner so as to portray scary-looking beings in order to chase away evil spirits. The masks are hand-made from wool, leather, horns, and feathers with the help of local craftsmen. The ones that represent rams, bulls, and goats, are among the costumes, which have not changed over the years. [caption id="attachment_38360" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A kuker without his mask, Dimitar Bratovaanov for AUBG Daily A kuker without his mask, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] According to the old traditions, male bachelors take up the roles of kukers. The leader of a kukers group has to be a married man, who serves as the guide of the others. They would go around the homes of the local people, enact comic mundane scenes and then bless the owners of the house with health, happiness, and success in future agricultural endeavors. The kukers would conclude their day with a dance at the center of town, accompanied by the loud sounds of the big metal bells they wear. With time, the tradition has changed by adopting new elements or making small adjustments to the ritual. Nowadays men, women, and children dress up and take part in the festival. The 27th edition of the Surva Festivals, provided visitors with the opportunity to experience different aspects of Bulgarian culture – local cuisine, exhibits of old arts and crafts, traditional costumes, and the kukers masquerade parade. Each of the participating kukers groups had to perform a short theatrical play in front of a jury. The main criteria for evaluation was authenticity of the costumes and the enacted humoristic mundane scenes. The winners of the 2018 edition of the festival are the kukers groups from the villages Pobeda, Knyazhevo, Kabile, and the town of Pavel Banya. [caption id="attachment_38361" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A kuker's mask, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A kuker's mask, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] [caption id="attachment_38364" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A kuker dressed as a bear, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A kuker dressed as a bear, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] [caption id="attachment_38362" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A kuker dressed as a goat spirit, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A kuker dressed as a goat spirit, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] [caption id="attachment_38366" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Children participating in the parade, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily Children participating in the parade, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] [caption id="attachment_38367" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A drummer dressed in a traditional Bulgarian costume, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A drummer dressed in a traditional Bulgarian costume, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] [caption id="attachment_38371" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Women performing traditional Bulgarian dances, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily Women performing traditional Bulgarian dances, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption]