Traditional Winter Games and Customs with Masks in Bulgaria

 保加利亞迎新年 戴面具驅走霉運

農曆新年連假即將進入尾聲，東歐的保加利亞則剛剛迎接了新年，他們過年的方式相當特別，也就是每年一月底二月初，一連三天的保加利亞面具節，當地人會戴上面具，披上獸毛，掛上巨鈴，以驅魔人姿態將寒冷與去年的霉運趕走，祈求新的一年一切美好，作物大豐收。

保加利亞的佩爾尼克，這天下起大雨，天空還飄下白雪，但卻澆不熄民眾的熱情。為了歡喜迎接新年，當地民眾每年都會開心戴上誇張的面具，身上披著獸毛，掛上 大型的銅鈴，人人化身為驅魔人的姿態，跳起傳統舞蹈，趕走寒冷以及過去一年的壞運氣，祈求來年事事順利，農作物豐收，同時也祈求還沒懷孕的新娘，早生貴 子。
面具節參與民眾 安塔納索夫

我們祈求生產力，農作物豐收以及一切平安。尤其是對無法懷孕的新娘，她必須要去摸到熊，她才可以懷孕，在我們的村莊，面具演員通常都由未婚男孩，學者扮演，我們也有人扮演新娘，新郎跟熊的角色。

保加利亞的面具舞，具傳已有上千年的歷史，在距首都索菲亞40分鐘車程的佩爾尼克工業煤鎮，直到1966年開始，這項面具舞，才正式成為迎接新年的習俗，在當地稱為SURVA，直到現在已成為保加利亞最具代表性的冬季節目。
民族學家 曼諾娃
我們的面具節很特別，跟歐洲的面具嘉年華，民眾在店裡買了面具就能參加的方式不一樣，這項舞蹈有上千年的歷史，是一項傳統，這也是為何佩爾尼克如此引以為傲的原因。

一連三天的面具舞，首日由中小學生出動，之後兩天是各地專業團隊登場，前者可愛，後者氣勢逼人，各有看頭。參與者的打扮大多以巨型毛毛面具出場，單獨看的確有點嚇人，但加上搖鈴、大鼓、吶喊助興，現場氣氛熱鬧得有如嘉年華，以歡樂人氣來迎接春天跟新年的到來。

記者 靳元慶 報導

(2014-02-04 19:00)  晚間新聞

 http://bulgariatravel.org/en/topical/36

Traditional Winter Games and Customs with Masks in Bulgaria

11.02.2013

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The custom of "Mummers" ("Kukeri") in the Bulgarian lands was originated thousands of years ago. It was celebrated by the Thracian tribes when meeting their new year and the beginning of the new planting season associated with tilling the fields. With their rituals the Kukeri dance the winter away and welcome the coming summer fertility. In different parts of Bulgaria the mummers go out at different times - right after the New Year or in March after Shrove (these celebrations correspond to the Western Christian Carnival). Mummers have different names: babugeri, pesyatsi, bear-leaders, elders, Kukove. They dress in leather or with a mixture of male and female clothes and put on scary masks, hang bells and carry swords or sticks to frighten away the frigid and fruitless winter. Then they dance in the streets to scare the evil forces and to banish the cold and perform rituals for fertility and health such as plowing, sowing, and others.

On New Year’s Day – the 1^st of January - in many cities in Southwest Bulgaria like Bansko, Razlog, Petrich and Blagoevgrad mummer games are organized. Somewhat later - on January 12^th - comes the International Festival of Babugeri Masks and Games in the town of Simitli, followed on January 19^th by the International Mummer’s Carnival "Starchevata", which takes place in the town of Razlog.

The International Festival of Masquerade Games "Surva" in Pernik - the biggest and most significant event of traditional folk dances and rituals with masks in Bulgaria and on the Balkans - will be held between the 1^st and 3^rd of February 2013, while "Kukerlandia" in Yambol starts on the 26^th of February.