International Mummers festival “Surva” Starts in Pernik

The 32nd edition of the International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva” begins in the city of Pernik.

The festival will open this evening, January 16, with a ceremonial show and a concert by the world-famous 'Gipsy Kings'.

Until 25 January, the city will be immersed in the magic of masquerade traditions. Because of record interest and more than 13,000 participants, the parades will take place over two weekends.

Mummers (Survakari and Kukeri) from Bulgaria and more than 30 countries will fill the streets of Pernik, driving away evil spirits with masks, bells and ancient rituals.

On the days of the parades – 17–18 and 24–25 January – a temporary traffic organisation will be introduced in the central parts of the city.

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The festival held in Pernik is the oldest festival of the masquerade games in Bulgaria. The first edition was opened on January 16, 1966.

Mummers (Kukeri in Bulgarian) is a Bulgarian tradition of Thracian origins. In ancient times the old Thracians held the Mummers Play in honour of god Dionysus.

The Mummers plays are performed by men, dressed in colourful hand-made costumes and wearing scary masks. Each wears a leather belt around the waist with huge copper bells (chanove) attached to it.

The ‘Mummers’ masks are decorated with threads, ribbons, laces and usually represent animals like goats, bulls, rams, or even chicken. Some of the masks are double-faced. On one of the sides, the nose is snubbed and the face is good-humored, on the other side, the nose is hooked and the face is ominous. Those masks symbolize the good and the bad which co-exist in the world.

In different ethnographic regions of Bulgaria men put on masks around New Year, during the twelve days of Christmas (Christmas till Epiphany), on Sirni Zagovezni (Forgiveness Day), and on Todorova Nedelia (the Sunday before the start of the Easter Fast).

The symbolic meaning of the winter and pre-spring rituals is related to the end of the old year, the beginning of the new and to the awakening of nature for new life. These rituals represent the wish for a rich harvest, good health and fertility for humans and farm animals.

The dance of the masked men is a mystic unity of rhythm, sound, and colour. Moving in a special step, mummers walk around, jump and dance special magic dances to scare away the evil spirits, to celebrate the beginning of spring and hopes for a good harvest, health, land fertility, and happiness.

The sounds of the bells hanging from the belts of the dancers are believed to strengthen the protective properties of the masks.

In the different parts of Bulgaria mummers are called Kukeri, Survakari, Babugeri and Dzhamilari. This ancient custom became even more popular after 1985, when the festival gained international-event status.