Bulgarian communities have this tradition because it is an ancient tradition and a way to celebrate the beginning of a new year. The Surva festival and Kukeri dances are supposed to scare away evil spirits through scary masked figures and loud noise from the bells. Most Bulgarians do not believe that this ritual actually scares away evil spirits, but they still participate as a way of remembering their history and preserving their culture. Kukeri now is used to tell stories. The costumes are all different in style to help make the story more understandable. Some Kukeri dancers tell stories of harvesting crops, hunting or marriage.
Yes, Kukeri dancing is connected to the environment because part of the tradition is that the dancers have to make their own costume. The costumes are all different to express creativity and based on the materials available. The costumes from each region use different elements that represent their towns, areas or unique culture. In villages, the people often raise sheep so the masks will have sheep fur on them. In areas with rivers, many costumes will use shells. This is a great way to be creative while also representing your hometown.
