Sofia, Bulgaria. 08 January 2023. Kukeri dancers with intricate costumes and bells dancing on stage at the annual Surva winter festival in the Bulgarian capital. Credit: Ognyan Yosifov/Alamy Live News
Kukeri is a centuries-old tradition intended to chase evil spirits away and to invite good, held around early winter or midwinter. The participants wear bells, embroidered costumes, and fantastical masks to participate in the winter ritual. Kukeri survived Christianization, an Ottoman occupation lasted 500 years, and the Communism.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, EU
Photo credit: © Ognyan Yosifov / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2023, alamy, ancient, animals, balkan, balkans, bells, bizzare, bulgaria, bulgarian, costumes, dancer, dancers, decorated, demon, dispel, eastern, embodying, eu, europe, european, evil, famous, festival, festivals, good, hunters, indigenous, intricate, invite, january, kukeri, large, live, mask, masks, monsters, mummers, mumming, mysterious, mystery, news, occupation, occupations, participants, peninsula, people, popular, resembling, rituals, show, sofia, symbolic, tradition, traditional, urban
