People wear elaborate costumes to scare evil spirits away from the town and prepare the city for a successful new year. That is why the masks are designed to look frightening. The people also wear bells to create noise, so that when they dance, the sound can be heard throughout the town. Knowing that people are scaring the evil spirits away, makes the people feel safe. How do you celebrate the New Year? Would you attend Surva if it happened in the United States?
Surva might sound strange, but the shows at the festival were a lot of fun to watch. They involve dancing with large bells, colorful costumes and scary masquerade masks. Although they are often scary, the masks are very creative and use all kinds of materials. I saw masks made with sheep's wool, cow’s horns, seashells and beans! The masks are even painted in a mixture of bright red, orange, yellow and blue colors in contrast to dark black and brown colors.
Despite the elaborate costumes, the Surva festival is about dancing. The people who dance are called кукери (Kukeri - pronounced Ku-ka-ri). The Kukeri dancers wear masks and belts made of bells that jingle as the people dance to create music. The costumes are all different in style and are designed to tell a story through the performance. Some people are even dressed as cows and are lead around with a harness!
Kukeri is one of the oldest folk traditions in Bulgaria and is supposed to scare away evil spirits. So while the costumes and music are scary and chant-like, the festival is cheerful because it is meant to protect the community. I had so much fun at Kukeri, and attending events like this is one of the best parts about living in another country.
