The oldest carnival in Europe and the World: Kukeri festivals

What is the oldest carnival in Europe and the World?… Although there are always controversies around history, there are data that speak of the existence of parties that can be similar to a carnival already in ancient Rome, some 200 years before Christ. However, there is another carnival in Eastern Europe that could be the oldest carnival in Europe and the World., and that also continues to be celebrated to this day; It is about the festivals of “Kukeri” that are celebrated in various cities of Bulgaria between New Years and Lent, usually at the end of January, in a tradition of dressing up that dates back to nothing less than 4.000 years ago when the tribes of Thracians, ancestors of the current Bulgarians who inhabited these lands at that time. By the way the most famous of the Thracians is Spartacus … leader of the slave uprising against the Romans … But that is another story.

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The old Kukeri carnival is not only a party, is full of mystical symbolism because it represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth, dates back to the times when pagan gods were worshiped. The costumes for this celebration are worn by the youth of the village, single or newlyweds, what are called “kukeri” . The costumes they wear are made with skins (before natural, now artificial) and other materials, and are accompanied by hanging cowbells (some of enormous dimensions and very heavy), color tapes, tassels, palos, etc., besides with wooden masks, that can have jaws that open and close, as well as horns, etc, all giving a very different image to the carnivals we are used to… These men disguised as “monsters”, they are armed with sticks, do not speak, they walk and dance in their own way according to ancient rites dating back thousands of years, and their movement makes the cowbells that wear their costumes ring, the function of all this is to drive away evil spirits.

Young Kukeri dancing

Nowadays, the Kukeri parade delights children, They are not afraid because they have known them from a very young age but still the Kukeri are dedicated to trying to scare them as they pass through the streets where the carnival parade runs and they also take photos with the tourists who come to see the festival. Although formerly it was a tradition that was taken very seriously to drive away “Times” and the evil spirits, currently the Kukeri carnival is a party that young and old enjoy, sometimes even under the falling snowflakes since it is done in the middle of winter, The picture of these costumes while the snow falls and hundreds of people who do not care about the cold and snow at all in order to enjoy the show is something worth seeing in person, I recommend it… Although this is the oldest carnival in the world, Accompanying the Kukeri, groups of women with regional costumes and other people with more costumes also parade. “contemporaries” who also join the parade. Among the public, some attendees also dress up and create the right atmosphere for the party…

Children dressed as Kukeri

Tourists next to one of the Kukeri

But everything has its meaning, these masks represent good and evil, reflecting the balance of the forces of nature and are used to scare away evil spirits, that in the carnival parade may be represented by witches, evil black eagles, the devil…. During the Kukeri carnival, the head of the Kukeri must carry out various rituals to impart health, fruitfulness and good fortune to the townspeople. This includes visiting different homes, where the Kukeri are offered bread and wine, symbol of the sacrifice of blood and flesh, even in pre-christian times. The passage of the Kukeri serves to provide the peoples with prosperity, good luck and health.

There are several cities in Bulgaria where this carnival is celebrated, the oldest carnival in the world, but perhaps the most famous is the one in the city of Pernik, scarce 20 km west of the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, where the last weekend of January of each year is celebrated. Pernik's kukeri festival is called “Surva Festival” and shares leadership with that of Razlog. Razlog's Kukeri festival is held in the middle of January and together with its folk song festival “Pirin signs” makes the town of Razlog host two of the most important folk events in Bulgaria. Other cities where kukeri festivals are held include: Petrich the 1 from January, that of the city of Stara Zagora in the center of the country, that of Blagoevgrad on the first Sunday of January, that of Shiroka Laka on the first Sunday of March and many others…

Contact us for more information or for us to help you organize your trip to any of these events, We have local Spanish-speaking guides who will give you many more details about these carnivals, or you can also go on an adventure with our self-drive trip by rental car…