July 11, 2008
Bulgarian Fire Dancing
Bulgarian Fire Dancing is a custom that can be seen only in some villages between Strandzha and the Black Sea, around Bourgas,so if you have already bought a property in Bulgaria and it is in one of these regions may be you have seen these extraordinary dancers already. It is observed on the holiday of St.Konstantin and Elena.A basic element of the custom is the dance in fire (glowing embers). The whole village takes part in the celebration but it is only the fire-dancers that participate in the ritual dance. They start beating the drum and play a special fire-dancing song on a pipe. Some of the fire-dancers get "caught" (a state of religious trance) and start dancing with the Saint’s icon in their hands. After the ritual dances are over, the people set up a big feast eating homemade boiled mutton. After sunset they all return to the central square where they build up a big fire around which they play horo at the accompaniment of a pipe and drum. When the fire goes out and turns into glowing embers, the fire-dancers start dancing on them. The fire-dancer dances bare-footed on the embers and while he is dancing he may see and foretell the future.