Where are the Kukeri rituals performed?

The Kukeri is an ancient Bulgarian pagan ritual to scare away evil spirits of winter.

The word "kuker" (plural "kukeri") comes from Latin ("cuculla", meaning a "hood") and it denotes a folkloric ritual monster.

Kukeri are elaborately dressed men who perform the ritual. They gather to chant and dance, wearing home-made wooden masks (sometimes double-faced), animal furs, horns, and sequins, strapping on heavy belts with bells on that can weigh up to 70kg. The costumes cover most of the body. The scarier the better.

The ritual dance of these masked men is considered to bring good harvest, health, and happiness to the village or town during the year.

The rituals are practiced on different dates in different towns and villages. Around the New Year and before Lent, the Kukeri walk and dance through villages across the country. The largest Kukeri festival is the one in Pernik, a town located about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Sofia. The festival has become an annual event since 1966. More than 5,000 people from more than 70 countries usually come to see Pernik Kukeri Festival.

There’s no documentation of where and when the Kukeri rituals were started. There is some evidence that the tradition is thousands of years old. Kukeri practice has survived Christianization, an Ottoman occupation, and decades of Communism.

Closely related traditions are found throughout the Balkans and Greece.