Here you will find some more information about the most remarkable traditional festivals in Bulgaria.

Rose Picking Rituals/Rose Festival

If you’re looking for the best traditional festival in Bulgaria and want a real local experience with smell of roses, the best time for that is during the rose picking rituals and the world famous festival of roses in Bulgaria, taking place from late May to mid-June. The tour includes visiting the rose fields and becoming a part of the customs are held in the southern part of Bulgaria during the rose harvesting.

The program of the rose festival in Bulgaria is very interesting and the visitors have the opportunity to witness the coronation of Queen Rose and traditional rituals of picking and rose, recreated in an authentic atmosphere with lots of fun, songs, dances and carnival processions. Details about the Bulgarian festival of roses 

Traditional Kukeri Festival

The International Bulgarian Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva” in Pernik is the most prestigious manifestation of traditional folk games and customs with masks in Bulgaria and the Balkans, list in the World Intangible Heritage of UNESCO. It promotes reached today variants of the ancient rituals of the Bulgarian folklore tradition.
Traditionally, this Bulgarian traditional festival competition involved about 6000 people in about 100 groups from all ethnographic regions of Bulgaria and guests from Europe, Asia and Africa.

Visitors from all over the world come in this small town to share the magic of this traditional festival in Bulgaria, to see and touch the masks and wish health and luck. Custom tour to Kukeri festivals in Bulgaria

Nestinari Dances/ Fire-Walking

Nestinari dancing is based on an ancient cult. Dancers perform the ritual on live coals, barefoot. It is typical for the Bulgari village located in the mountain of Strandzha, and is practiced on the night of June 3. During the dancing they carry an icon of the Saints Constantine and Elena, whose holiday is celebrated on June 3.

Before the dancing, at morning time, a procession led by the nestinari goes to the nearby sacred spring. All villagers attend the procession. At the spring, the icons are consecrated and a round dance is formed. Then the procession tours the village and reaches a chapel where the nestinari stay until nightfall, listening to drums to get into trance. A fire is lighted which goes on until the evening. At night, the nestinari start dancing on the live coals. Nestinari dances are also performed in other places in the country, as part of tourist attractions.

Folk Festivals

Bulgaria may be a small country, but on its territory there are seven folklore regions that are famous for their peculiarities. Different traditional costumes, customs, food and various dances and songs. Hundreds of traditional folk festivals are held every year all around Bulgaria. Dance groups and ensembles, choirs and individual singers gathered from all corners of Bulgaria get together to celebrate various events and have fun. See all folk festivals in Bulgaria 

Wine Festivals

Bulgaria is a country known not only for its rich culture, history and beautiful scenery, but the wine making which takes a big part of the local life. Actually, the production of wine on these lands dates back to ancient time. Even the Thracians who inhabited the land were dedicated winemakers.

Because of the history, and just because the Bulgarians are not just producers and consumers, but also connoisseurs of fine wine, a lot of holidays in the country are related to the magic drink. If you are wine lover and want to get closer to the magical customs related to the wine, you must necessarily visit some of the traditional wine festivals held in different parts of Bulgaria.

Fruit and Food Festivals

Bulgarian fertile land is the reason the different regions of Bulgaria to grow a various fruits and vegetables, depending on the altitude and climate. Western Bulgaria – cherries, peaches in South Bulgaria, mountainous areas – plums and blueberries, central Bulgaria – pumpkins. In the past the production was important for feeding the people lived in there, that is why they have made a cult of the fruits.

Every year they organize celebrations for one or several days in which the local people dance and sing, cook marmalades, prepare aromatic drinks and express their gratitude to the Mother Nature asking her to be merciful to their crops in the future. Know more about the food holidays in Bulgaria