CARNAVAL DES KOUKERI

Carnivals take place in February-March in the regions of Sofia, Strandja Mountain and Plovdiv. Men in disguise take part, driving evil out of houses and people by making an infernal noise, while gesticulating under their scary masks. The celebrations are linked to the god Dionysus and the Christian Lent. Spectacular and a bit scary... But it's all for fun, even though the tradition is alive and well and the ritual taken very seriously in the villages and families. One must make an offering to the koureri who knock on your door.