STOLETOVO VILLAGE - KUKER DAY PROGRAMME
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- In Sirnitsa (the Bulgarian and Orthodox version of the Shrove Sunday), the children Kukeri will visit the houses
- Starting at 10:15 on Sirnitsa, there will be a mask contest for children of the kindergarten on the square
- From 13:30 until around 15:00, there will be festivity on the square, with folk music and horo (a traditional Bulgarian chain dance), the Kuker band both procession and dance
- The traditional dinner at each home goes with forgiveness taking (“proshka”) and “hamkane” (a custom where the children in the family try to catch by mouth a piece of white khalva hanged on a thread).
Sirnitsa before NoonOn Sunday Morning, the Kukeri go round the streets of the Village of Stoletovo , jangle the bells and chase the evil ghosts. They start “dressed” and masked at 8:30 or 9:00 on the square. Everyone who wants and can will join them. They split into groups and divide among themselves the streets in order to pass them through quicker. They will not enter the homes.
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Sirnitsa on the Square Afternoon
The Kukeri gather on the square until 14:30-15:00. The music will sound from the loudspeakers to announce the event to the people. Many spectators will go out. The secretary of the local Chitalishte (community cultural centre) will great the public, and will invite the all the masked to play horo (a traditional Bulgarian chain dance) together with the Kukeri in order to let the jury of the mask contest eye them
When the horo is over, and they see the little masked everyone will have the microphone to say what their mask presents.
Some of the masks which have been shown are as follows:
The jury of the mask contest will include the librarian of the Chitalishte, who was once the latter's secretary, and a retired teacher with a long experience as a school director, and now a director of the pensioner club.
The Kukeri will perform their dance, and again all people will dance the horo (a traditional Bulgarian chain dance). Meanwhile, the Kukeri will circulate, will banter the people, and will jump around them.
The horo will break for a while in order to award the mask prizes. The latter will not be large, and will be rather incentives. For the Kuker band, the award well be in cash, while for the children there will be small objects which will also be enjoyed by them.
At 17:30 the feast will be over on the square. Before coming back home for dinner, the people will conspire for the time of burning the pile.The music will be going on.
When the horo is over, and they see the little masked everyone will have the microphone to say what their mask presents.
Some of the masks which have been shown are as follows:
- A bride and a groom; it is always present, and once there were even two women masked
- “Baba Yaga” (a negative fairy tales personage)
- Turkish “pasha” with turbans
- Ready-shop masks, combined with tattered clothes taken from the old wardrobes
- Girls and boys with painted moustaches and beards
- A gypsy woman with a necklace of old Turkish coins and a bandana
- Two clowns with wigs dressed by the local Chitalishte (community cultural centre)
- “Baba Marta” (a traditional Bulgarian folklore personage linked to the first March and the Martenitsa custom), who will give away branches; she will be again dressed by the Chitalishte
- A disguised baby in a pram
- A “gypsy” family with bags...
The jury of the mask contest will include the librarian of the Chitalishte, who was once the latter's secretary, and a retired teacher with a long experience as a school director, and now a director of the pensioner club.
The Kukeri will perform their dance, and again all people will dance the horo (a traditional Bulgarian chain dance). Meanwhile, the Kukeri will circulate, will banter the people, and will jump around them.
The horo will break for a while in order to award the mask prizes. The latter will not be large, and will be rather incentives. For the Kuker band, the award well be in cash, while for the children there will be small objects which will also be enjoyed by them.
At 17:30 the feast will be over on the square. Before coming back home for dinner, the people will conspire for the time of burning the pile.The music will be going on.
Sirnitsa at Home in the Evening
In the homes, the people will keep light fast. They also keep the custom of forgiveness asking (“proshka”) from the elder family members.
Sirnitsa Evening - Kindling FiresAt dusk, the people will start going out, and the piles will be burned.The youths will have collected and transported twigs with some cart; they will also have formed the piles with some help. People will bring wine and rakia (the Bulgarian brandy) to the piles, and will treat each other. The young people will go round to see each pile in order to see where there is most fun.
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Some time ago, they would jump over the burning piles; today, it is not allowed due to an accident with a boy who fell and got badly burned.
The youngsters will through empty flacons of spay into the fires to thunder, as well as other things of that kind.
The youngsters will through empty flacons of spay into the fires to thunder, as well as other things of that kind.
Sirnitsa Evening - Kukeri Tour the Houses
In the evening, after the fire is lighted, some of the Kukeri may again "dress" and visit the houses.
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