Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Nestinari dancing on live embers in Bulgari village

Photo: BGNES, archive

The day of Saints Constantine and Helena is marked today (3 June, old style) in the village of Bulgari in Mount Standzha, with traditional nestinari games. 

Saturday’s programme begins with a nestinari ritual early in the morning, and then from 1 PM until 7 PM the documentary “Footsteps in the fire” will be screened. There will be a photo exhibition of the nestinari ritual at the information centre in the village, followed by a folklore concert programme with the participation of ensemble Tsarevo from the Georgi Kondolov 1914 chitalishte (culture community club). 


The nestinari games proper will begin at 9.30 PM.  At 10 AM on the next day, June 4, there will be an icon procession.

Bulgari is one of few villages where the authentic nestinari tradition has been preserved to this day. Every year, the nestinari ritual of dancing on live embers comes to life in the village in the first days of June, to the sound of drums, as a way of honouring the patron saints of the village – Constantine and Helena.

Compiled by Veneta Nikolova

Photos: Facebook/selobulgari, BGNES



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Sunny weather in most of Bulgaria on Thursday, with fog near rivers

Overnight it will be clear. The wind will die down in most areas. After midnight along the Danube River, in lowlands and near rivers fogs will form and visibility will be reduced with low clouds. Minimum temperatures will be between minus 3°C and 2°C,..

published on 11/27/24 7:25 PM

EU ambassadors reach agreement on Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen by land

The ambassadors of the EU Member States have reached a preliminary agreement on the draft decision to abolish checks at internal land borders for Bulgaria and Romania. This is planned to happen on January 1, 2025. The decision is expected to be finally..

published on 11/27/24 5:45 PM

Shopping malls vow to step up security after series of aggressive acts

Shopping malls in Sofia and across the country will increase the number of security guards where needed. Additional panic buttons are also to be put in place if retailers wish, the Bulgarian Retail Association said. Groups of suspicious persons will be..

published on 11/27/24 4:44 PM