Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Five years ago the ancient pagan ritual Surova entered UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list

Photo: BGNES, archive

On this day in 2015, the Surova folk feast from the region of Pernik was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the UNESCO website writes.

Surova is a ritual banishing evil forces to cleanse humans for a new life. The core of the celebration is a popular masquerade ritual performed in villages throughout the region. It takes place in January when colourful survakari masquerade groups pass through the streets to the sound of bells and bagpipes to celebrate creative human energy and the faith that the new year will be more bountiful and healthy.  



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

The Bulgarian school "Rodna Stryaha" in Cyprus, or how difficulties give rise to hope

Every Bulgarian school abroad has its own story, and that of the Rodna Stryaha Bulgarian school in Cyprus began in 2015. Its foundations are built on the dream of a Bulgarian teacher - when one day Bulgarian children decide to return to their..

published on 4/7/25 10:55 AM

President Radev attends launch of Forest Week at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

President Rumen Radev will today attend the opening ceremony of Forest Week in front of St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The theme of this year's celebrations is "A century of eternal creation, preservation and care!" This year marks the 100th..

published on 4/7/25 8:05 AM

The first week of April in Bulgaria is dedicated to forests

For 100 years, foresters in Bulgaria have been organizing Forest Week. A concert entitled “A century of eternity” on 7 April will give the official start to the initiative dedicated to the planet’s lungs. And though it has been a century since..

published on 4/6/25 5:05 PM