NESTINARSTVO

The Nestinarstvo rite, one of the oldest Bulgarian festivals, is one of the oldest festivals in Bulgaria, where the nestinars traditionally dance in trance, barefoot, on embers to the sound of a bass drum or bagpipes with the icon of St. Constantine in their hands. These ritual dances can be seen in small villages within the Strandja Mountain (or increasingly in tourist resorts). This pagan event marks the arrival of summer and comes from the Dionysian rites practiced by the Thracians in ancient times. Impressive.