Nestinarstvo:
Bulgaria
| Copyright 2007 |
Nestinarstvo is an interesting ritual performed in the south eastern tip of Bulgaria by the black
sea. The Nestinarstvo ritual is only performed by a group of villages found high up in the
Strandzha Mountains and has been done so for many centuries.
On the day of the patron saint of St. Constantine and Helen all the members of the village
collect around the village square and prepare for the Nestinarstvo ritual to take place. The ritual
itself happens in the evening hours after the sun has gone down for the day.
sea. The Nestinarstvo ritual is only performed by a group of villages found high up in the
Strandzha Mountains and has been done so for many centuries.
On the day of the patron saint of St. Constantine and Helen all the members of the village
collect around the village square and prepare for the Nestinarstvo ritual to take place. The ritual
itself happens in the evening hours after the sun has gone down for the day.
Everyone from the village collects around a large open fire in the village square and dance the
horo in a large circle while the fire burns and starts to die down leaving its embers glowing in
the dark of the evening.
After the embers have died down the head of the village gives authority to who can partake in
the actual Nestinarstvo ritual itself and normally only gives the rights to himself or a family
member. The chosen few then take off their footwear and dance on the embers of the fire to the
beat of a scared drum and Bulgarian bag pipes.
The reason for this ritual is because it is believed that those who dance on the burning embers
will reach a higher state of being bringing them closer to their Eastern Orthodox faith and this is
why no pain or burning is felt by the dancer.
horo in a large circle while the fire burns and starts to die down leaving its embers glowing in
the dark of the evening.
After the embers have died down the head of the village gives authority to who can partake in
the actual Nestinarstvo ritual itself and normally only gives the rights to himself or a family
member. The chosen few then take off their footwear and dance on the embers of the fire to the
beat of a scared drum and Bulgarian bag pipes.
The reason for this ritual is because it is believed that those who dance on the burning embers
will reach a higher state of being bringing them closer to their Eastern Orthodox faith and this is
why no pain or burning is felt by the dancer.
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