Kukeri is a traditional
Bulgarian ritual to scare
away evil spirits, with a
costumed man
performing the ritual.
The costumes cover most
of the body and include
decorated wooden masks
of animals (sometimes
double-faced) and large
bells attached to the belt.
 Around New year and
before Lent, the kukeri
walk and dance through the
village to scare evil spirits
away with the costumes and
the sound of the bells, as
well as to provide a good
harvest, health, and
happiness to the village
during the year.
 The kukeri traditionally visit the peoples'
houses at night so that "the sun would not
catch them on the road." After going around
the village they gather at the square to
dance wildly and amuse the people. The
ritual varies by region but its essence
remains largely the same.
 The ritual is attributed to
Thracian origins. Similar
rituals can be also found in
Romania and Serbia. The
masked goat-type figure is
known as Capra in
Moldavia, Brezaia in
Muntenia, Cerbul in
Bucovina, and Turca in
Transylvania. In Greek
Dionysos' cult, bacchanates
would don the skins of
sacrificed goat-kids.
 The death and resurrection of the Capra (goat)
reflects the death and rebirth of vegetation. The
Capra's chiseled wooden mask has a movable
'clamping' lower jaw for the lively dance, and its horns
are either of wood or from a goat, ram, or stag.
 The horn's are adorned
with girls' beads and
kerchiefs, ribbons, multicoloured tassles, mirrors,
ivy (Hedera helix, a plant
that is also considered
sacred to Dionysos, used in
thyrsus staves),
basil(Ocimum basilicum, a
symbol of, inter alia, love
in Italy and Romania),
natural or artificial flowers
etc.
 The Capra's body may be made of different materials
depending on local tradition, such as carpet or red cloth
with adornments sewn on: traditional colourful cloth,
embroidered handcerchiefs in Suceava, beaded ornate
women's textile girdles in Bacău, reed (Phragmites
australis) seed heads in Botoşani and Iaşi, goat pelts in
Vrancea and in Mehedinţi, fabric ribbons or coloured
paper in Neamţ and in Giurgiu etc.
Kuker is a divinity personifying
fecundity, sometimes in Bulgaria and
Serbia it is a plural divinity. In
Bulgaria, a ritual spectacle of spring
takes place after a scenario of folk
theatre, in which Kuker's role is
interpreted by a man attired in a
sheep- or goat-pelt, wearing a horned
mask and girded with a large wooden
phallus. During the ritual, various
physiological acts are interpreted,
including the sexual act, as a symbol
of the god's sacred marriage, while the
symbolical wife, appearing pregnant,
mimes the pains of giving birth. This
ritual inaugurates the labours of the
fields and is carried out with the
participation of numerous allegorical
personages, among which is the
Emperor and his entourage.
During the ritual, various
physiological acts are
interpreted, including the
sexual act, as a symbol of
the god's sacred marriage,
while the symbolical wife,
appearing pregnant,
mimes the pains of giving
birth. This ritual
inaugurates the labours of
the fields and is carried
out with the participation
of numerous allegorical
personages, among which
is the Emperor and his
entourage.
 Some masks have two faces. On one side of the nose is smart and he is
good-humored and the other nose is hooked, and his face grim. These
masks are a symbol of good and evil which coexist in the world and are
inevitable. Great importance to the symbolism of the masks is the color
of the decoration. And red is the most - a symbol of fertility in reviving
nature, the sun and fire, the black color represents the earth goddess and
her mother, white is a symbol of water and light.
 In some villages in the night before New Year's perform the ritual
"camels". Important among its preparation supply of the ritual props.
In the ritual is the ancient idea of reincarnation, so great importance is
attached to the mask, characterized as a major component. Mask is
raised amazingly great craftsmanship and great fantasy. They are
carefully saved and are refreshed each year. There is a tradition in the
choice of certain materials and in the images, symbolism and how the
masks and costumes. Each era brings new participants in the ritual.
 "Camel" is made of two willow trees with a length of 1 to 1.5
meters, which are connected at each end by two perpendicular
bars. Two willow trees are associated with several curved rods of
elm or dogwood. The skeleton is covered with heard. The head of
the "camel" is covered with fur or a weasel fir. Bells tied front and
back of a camel and a tail. The camel has a young man wearing a
dress with white leggings with black running socks and sandals.
The boy should be healthy and strong to be able to play and when
confronted with another "camel" to beat her.