Masquerade games “Pess Ponedelnik” in Shiroka Luka

For years the carnival “Pess Ponedelnik” in Shiroka Luka attracts hundreds of tourists to the village. Each first weekend of March the Rhodopean village is becoming busy and lively with the chime of bells and the colour of masquerade costumes. Preparations for the traditional games of kukery (mummers) begin from Friday evening. The local amateur group presents on the scene of the National School of Folklore Arts – Shiroka Luka the performance “Poprelka”. (The show is an animation illustrating the old tradition when all the women gather to have small talk and at the same time are busy with the crafts from old times). On Saturday students in the School of Arts make a concert. The masquerade carnival itself takes place on Sunday. The participants in the games, dressed in special costumes (goat and sheep furs and big bells tied around their waists) with attractive masks, armed with wooden swords make a show procession around the village performing various rituals. The main idea is to chase away the evil spirits on the eve of spring. Participating ensembles come from other parts of the country – Plovdiv, Karlovo, Kazanlak, Blagoevgrad, as well as from foreign countries – Ireland and Macedonia. The games finish with a ritual for purification of the kukeries in the river of Shiroka Luka .

“Pustove” (The First Sunday before Lent) in Raikovo, Smolyan town

These are festivities at the end of February or the beginning of March, when people gather in front of “Orpheevi gori” Community Club. Amateur groups from the Community Club, the “Zevzek” Club (Wise Cracker) and guest ensembles from the region are performing folklore dances and making attractive shows around orada – a big bonfire. There is bidding who is going to light the fire and contest for the best masquerade costume. At the end the bravest masked and dressed performers jump over the big bon fire to chase the evil. The ritual comes from the pagan rites connected with the end of the cold winter days and the refreshing advent of the springtime.

Thodor’s day in the village of Momchilovtsi

Kushia – horse races are organized in the village of Momchilovtsi dedicated to Thodor’s Day. The celebration takes place on the Saturday before the Long Lent. It is also known as the Horse Easter.

“ St. St. Constantine and Elena” ( May 21th) in Momchilovtsi village

Celebrations on occasion of the church holiday “St. St. Constantine and Elena” and a community reunion. The Christian holiday is also connected with organized singing contests and only on this day there is a live performance of the ritual “Traditional Rhodope Wedding” in Momchilovtsi. The celebrations continue with folklore amateur ensembles performing in the square, where there is also an exhibition of the local craftsmen.

Holiday of St. Nedelia in Gorno Raikovo, Smolyan (July 7th)

Sanctuary holiday with festivities. There is a lithurgy in the St. Nedelia church in Gorno Raikovo, Smolyan. The holiday continues on the amphitheatre in front of the “Balkanski prosvetitel” Community Club, where youth ensembles perform, church choirs sing psalms and folklore groups’ dance.

Ilinden (July 20th)

Holiday of St. Illia. Community reunions in the villages of Levochevo, Arda and Chokmanovo, with the participation of folklore groups and performers from the region and the country. The animations are in the open and allow free access of tourists and guests to the village.

Saint Jordan’s Day (January 6th), Smolyan

Related to the Christian Calendar. In the churches there is an official lithurgy followed by a procession carrying the Holy Cross to perform the ceremony of throwing the cross in the nearest river. According to an old ritual the bravest and the strongest in faith from the congregation, who takes out the cross from the cold river waters will be healthy during the whole year.

Gergyovden Lent St. George’s day (May 6th)

The preparations for the holiday start from the previous day. The young maids pick herbs and blossoms of apple and quince, which are immersed in water for the night. On the next morning the members of family wash with this water, and the flowers are taken out of the water with wishing for health, luck, marriage and prosperity. Early in the morning the people wash their faces with mountain dew, and the young lads make cradles for the young lassies. On this holiday in every house the housewife makes a traditional Banitsa (pie) with herbs – so called prosopnik. The holiday is celebrated by both Christians and Muslims and is popular with the Muslim population as Aderlez. One can attend the celebrations in the villages near Smolyan.