In Pernik, Bulgaria, over 10,000 people wearing masks participated in the traditional masquerade festival on Friday. This town is located 30 km west of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.
Masquerade rituals in Bulgaria are believed to have originated in pagan times. During this period, people would wear scary-looking ritual masks and make a lot of noise with rattles and bells in an attempt to chase away winter’s evil spirits. The rituals also aimed to bring fertility and health, and prepare people for a new beginning.
The “Surva” International Festival of Masquerade Games is a three-day event that attracted 105 masquerade groups from Bulgaria and 20 from other countries like Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.
The festival kicked off with a youth masquerade parade, involving 25 groups, and it will conclude on Sunday.
Nikolay Nenov, head of the festival jury, emphasized the cultural significance of Surva and stated that it is an important part of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage.
In Bulgarian masquerade groups, there are various roles played such as commander, bride, bridegroom, doctor, policeman, and different animals.
Nenov highlighted the festival’s important role in shaping local identity, especially in today’s globalized world.
Stoyan Karagogushev, who leads a group of 70 tradition-loving people from Kolarovo near the Bulgarian border with Greece, expressed his fascination with the past beliefs and rituals embodied by Surva. He has been participating in masquerade games since he was young.
A group from a foreign language high school in Pernik also joined the youth masquerade parade. The school’s principal, Temenuzhka Krumova, shared that the festival is eagerly awaited by the students each year and is a source of wonderful emotion.
