So a new year is here and for those of you following me on Instagram you may well have seen how I spent New Years Eve. If not you can catch up in the highlights. It was quiet an experience.

Anyway, I’m now in Bulgaria, and who knew temperatures got as low as -20 in Bulgaria? – I certainly didn’t! Yes, it’s been cold, but it’s also been one of the highlights on this trip so far. The people have been the most welcoming of any that we have met elsewhere in Europe. We’re talking free meals, free car journeys we even free tea leaves delivered to our door just a couple of hours ago from a neighbouring farmer. Beyond what most of us would call generous.

One of the highlights so far was what happened on January 1st in the small town of Varvara, it was one of the first Kukeri performances of the season. The origins of the Kukeri festival are unknown but there are similar versions throughout many parts of Europe (La Vijanera in Spain, for example, which I photographed 2 years ago). 

The thinking behind the festival is the costumes and accompanied dancing scare off evil spirits and as you’ve probably noticed this festival is all about the costumes. Some were almost certainly strong enough to scare of the most evil of spirits.

The main part of the costumes are made from Bulgarian goats skin. And for those of you who don’t know, Bulgarian goats have the longest hair of all goats. Which make the costumes rather stunning.

Unfortunately, not all villagers have access to such beautiful goats hair but they make do with whatever they have in order to join in the festivities.

At the bottom of this page I’ve added a small gallery of photos from the event. I will be shooting more Kukeri festivals in the next few weeks and once I’m done I’ll put together a gallery in my portfolio.

Festival number 2

Now the eager eyed amongst you will have noticed in the title of this post I mention 2 celebrations. Well, the second took place just last Sunday (6th January) to celebrate Jordanovden. The followers of the Eastern Othodox religion believe that this date is when Jesus Christ was baptised in the river Jordan. This is obviously linked to what happens at sunrise when over 100 men enter the river that runs through the village of Kalofer.

It’s a cold affair, and this year temperatures were down to -8 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit).  

The concept of this festival might at first seem a little mad, and the more you look into it the madder it becomes. It all kicks off in the very early hours of the 6th January. Long before the sun comes up villagers gather by the river to sing, drink and be merry.

Slowly as the day gets brighter, it becomes clear that the river is in fact, frozen. To me it was no real surprise, I’d been standing around trying to find my spot and freezing my butt off in the process. My hands were already frozen and I was wearing ski gloves!

It’s one of those festivals that are difficult to shoot. Difficult because there are so many people there that photographers are limited to pretty much just one angle of view. I scored myself, what I believe to be the best place. Right up against the temporary damn that is built to increase the size of the pool. Yes, I was on the dry side! although looking at some of my photos you might think differently.

As the day brightened up the drummer enters the river to break the ice, so the approaching marching band can walk through unobstructed.

A priest threw a small cross into the river, the first man to find the cross is said to have good fortune for the year ahead.

For the next half an hour or so the men danced, sung and surely nearly froze to death. They say that the air is colder than the water, but that may just have been the alcohol talking.

Kukeri Gallery

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