Sofia, Bulgaria. 08 January 2023. Kukeri dancer with intricate costume, bells and mask 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: 4912px × 7360px
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, EU
Photo credit: © bincidaphoto / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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