You might have wondered why I haven’t posted anything this week so far. Well, bloggers also need an escape from work, and I just came back from my Spring break. Ahh, it was a week to remember! The end of winter in Bulgaria is usually a period of numerous festivals, celebrations, and parties that remind us of the upcoming summer we all long for. I attended several events, which, combined with a couple of days at home, with awesome food and considerable amount of sleep, helped me restore my enthusiasm and wake up from winter lethargy.
After I finished my exams, I rushed back home, impatient to indulge my appetite for homemade food and desire to simply do nothing. Luckily, I got there just in time for the annual international festival Kukerlandia, held in my hometown, Yambol, during the period from Feb. 26 to Mar. 2. It is a very interesting celebration, which marks the approaching end of winter and is an occasion which gathers people from all over Bulgaria. In this year’s festival 2500 people from 11 Bulgarian municipalities and also from the Balkans, took part in Kukerlandia, which basically represents centuries of old traditions to scare away evil spirits, with costumed men performing the ritual. It is a very lively and colorful festival, which everyone loves; the town was so noisy and crowded that one could have never remained unmoved by the emotions!
Here is a slideshow, which depicts some interesting moments and costumes of Kukerlandia, because words are never enough to describe such an event!