For the next three days, the village of Zheravna will be a one-of-a-kind time machine. The Festival of The National Costume Zheravna 2010 will take place from August 20th to 22nd for the third year in a row. It will gather thousands of people from all regions of Bulgaria to celebrate with dance and music as their ancestors did 100-150 years ago.
The only condition for attending the festival is to wear a traditional costume. It could be authentic, theatrical, or custom-made. It could represent any region, social status, profession, or craftsman guild. See pictures and read more about Bulgarian folk costumes on the official website from the link above.
Participants will enjoy traditional cuisine: meze, cheeses, dried and grilled meats, banitza, breads, wine, and rakia. They will observe and take part in old-style wrestling, kukeri parades, nestinari dances, and the work of various craftsmen. The celebrations will be accompanied by traditional bagpipes, kettle drums, and cymbals as well as by dance performances by professional folklore ensembles and troupes from all Bulgarian ethnographic regions and other Balkan countries.
The use of modern devices and technology, even of chairs, forks, and watches is very restricted in order to ensure the authenticity of the experience. The festival is organized by Foundation “Bulgare”. Zheravna 2010 is a truly magnificent reincarnation of Bulgarian culture and heritage.
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August 20, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Timmy
Without authenticity, why bother? I’m glad they are so accurate and the menu sounds incredible. Will you go to this? How does this festival differe from Koprivshtitsa?
August 21, 2010 at 4:34 am
Katley
The video on the festival website is great. This is something I would love to go to!
August 21, 2010 at 6:20 am
Katley
Forgot to mention I used Google translate, and read about the festival and the rules. No toilet paper in the bathrooms?
In the old days, it didn’t exist.
Time travel by way of this festival would be a one of a kind experience, and a way to reconnect with the old Bulgarian traditions, and authentic folklore.
I also checked out the pictures and the costumes, they are beautiful!
August 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm
zikata
Timmy, I won’t be able to go this year because Zheravna is very far from Sofia, and I don’t have a national dress.
Koprivshtitza, since you ask, is a town with great historical and cultural value. The typical architecture, the many historical and ethnographic museums, the houses of some of the great Bulgarian writers and revolutionaries, and the numerous folk festivals organized there are only some of the reasons why it is so famous: http://eng.koprivshtitza.com/.
Maybe next time when you visit we should go
September 10, 2010 at 3:12 am
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[...] Singers in traditional garments during the folklore festival in Zheravna [...]
November 5, 2010 at 5:56 am
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