What is the meaning of Kukeri?

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Kukeri is an ancient tradition intended to chase evil spirits away. Men and boys dress up in furs and animal skins, put scary masks on their faces, and jump with huge bells tied around their waists.

In some regions of the country, the Kukeri groups act out mini-plays. Every member of the group is assigned a specific role in a story – the king, the granny, the horse, the bear, etc. Everything in the play is grotesque and supposed to make the spectators laugh. Symbolically, the Kukeri actors often act out a wedding, sowing, harvesting, and other rituals meant to preserve the natural order.

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Nowadays, women and young girls also take part in the ritual even the female roles have always been played by men in the past.

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As the tradition requires, every member of the Kukeri group must have a costume of his or her own. A costume is either inherited or sewn by its owner. The same goes for the bells, usually handed down over the generations. Some of the bells weigh no less than 220 lbs (100 kg), and the art of dancing with this burden around your waist is really impressive. The masks are usually constructed from wood and covered in colorful yarn threads, fur, animal teeth, beads, and horns.

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Masks of the “Kukeri”

 

Most masks have a wooden base. Multi-colored threads, fabrics, mirrors, shiny sequins and other elements are glued to it. 

The oldest are the masks resembling a ram, a goat and a bull. The effect of the masked “Kukeri” is further enhanced by the sound of the copper or bronze bells hanging from them.

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Some masks have two faces - to symbolize good and evil, inseparable in their existence.

The colors of their decoration are important for the symbolism of the masks. Usually the color red predominates - a symbol of the fertility of reborn nature, the sun and fire. The black represents the earth and its mother goddess, and the white symbolizes water and light.