Bulgarian Kukeri Festival: Make the bad spirits go away!

In western Bulgaria, performers wearing frightening masks and sometimes bizarre costumes dance around bonfires, shaking loud copper bells in the hope of driving out the bad spirits and bringing good health and fertility ahead of the coming of spring. But this year the vibrant dances mostly targeted a new threat: the coronavirus.

A Kukeri dancer is silhouetted against a bonfire during the Kukeri Festival, also known as the Surva Festival, in the village of Kosharevo, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Kukeri dancers, one with a scary mask and the other wearing a protective face mask as protection against the coronavirus, perform during the festival in the village of Svetlya, Jan. 13, 2021.

Kukeri dancers perform on a street with their elaborate masks during the festival in the village of Svetlya, Bulgaria, late Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021.

Kukeri mask dancers perform a traditional dance during celebrations in the village of Lyulin, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

People dressed in costumes dance around a bonfire as they participate in a Kukeri winter festival in the village of Gigintsi, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Costumed people carry torches as they participate in a Kukeri winter festival in the village of Gigintsi, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

People gather around on a square to light the traditional bonfire during celebrations in the village of Lyulin, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

People dressed in costumes play music and dance around a bonfire as they participate in a Kukeri winter festival in the village of Gigintsi, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Kukeri dancers wearing costumes perform a ritual dance with torches during the festival in the village of Dolna Sekirna, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Dancers wearing costumes perform a ritual dance with flaming torches during the Kukeri Festival in the village of Dolna Sekirna, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Bulgarian dancer plays a drum as dancers wearing costumes perform a ritual dance around a bonfire during the Kukeri Festival in the village of Dolna Sekirna, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Bulgarian dancers wearing costumes perform a ritual dance with flaming torches during the Kukeri Carnival in the village of Dolna Sekirna, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

Kukeri dancers in the village of Gigintsi, Bulgaria dance around a traditional bonfire.

One Kukeri mask dancer sits on one of the musicians during a traditional dance performance at the Kukeri Festival in the village of Lyulin, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

A Kukeri dancer lights a bonfire during Surva festival in the village of Kosharevo, Bulgaria, Jan. 13, 2021.

A masked Kukeri dancer holds up a torch in the village of Gigintsi in Bulgaria during the Kukeri Festival.

Dancers carrying torches walk toward the square of the village of Gigintsi to perform their traditional dance.