Survakari: the magic New Year of Bulgaria

Survakari is a lively Bulgarian tradition that brightens the early hours of the year.
It is performed every year on 13 and 14 January, the folk New Year or St Basil’s day, according to the old Julian church calendar. For the local settlement communities today it is the most anticipated feast of the year.
Traditionally, groups of children or young men, known as survakari, visit homes in their community, carrying a decorated stick called survachka, gently tapping family members on the back, wishing them health, happiness, and prosperity for the coming year.
It is often adorned with ribbons, dried fruit, and coins, symbolizing good fortune and strength, and each light pat with the stick is believed to pass on blessings and ensure a fruitful and healthy year ahead.
Most of the masked participants are dressed in skins of wild and domestic animals or with costumes from many-colored textile fringes. Each of them is carrying a few dozens of bells and cowbells on his waist, and a mask, “lik”, on his head, made of wood, stuffed parts of domestic animals including leather, horns, wings and feathers. Amongst the multitude of masked men, mandatory characters with special roles are “the leader” (bolyubasha), “the newlyweds”, “the wedding kin”, “the priest”, “the bear and the bear keeper”.
Participants make their masks by themselves, hence each of them is a unique piece of applied art, but in recent decades in some villages there are artisans making masks through the whole year for everyone willing to take part in the feast. The bells are made by blacksmiths and are attuned by the participants themselves.

Traditionally, on the evening on 13 January the survakari go out to the center of the settlement, light fires, dance around them, play around with the crowd, visit neighboring villages, welcome other masquerade groups, and everyone takes part in the chain dance, while early in the morning on 14 January, the masked men gather again to walk around the village.
As a rule, they visit every house and people interpret this as a wish for good health and well-being. In each house, “the priest” weds “the newlyweds”, “the bear mauls people for good health” and everyone else noisily dances and plays in the yard around. The hosts wait for them with love and impatience, welcome them with traditional food, feed them and generously gift them.
The day is not just about tradition, but also about bringing people together, as the cheerful visits from the survakari fill homes with joy and laughter as neighbors and friends exchange their best wishes for the future.
This simple act unites entire villages, reminding people of their shared hopes for a prosperous year, as the Survakari bring not only blessings but also a sense of unity and community, making this custom a cherished part of Bulgarian culture.

Its origins trace back to ancient times, with roots in pagan rituals.
Communities in what is now Bulgaria first practiced it to ensure health and prosperity for the new year.
The earliest records suggest it began long before Christianity reached the region, when people believed magical acts could influence their lives.
These early traditions revolved around natural symbols like trees, seen as powerful connections between the earthly and spiritual worlds and, although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who started Survakari, it is clear that rural villagers passed it down through generations.
Families relied on these traditional customs to bring blessings, believing that their power was essential for a successful year, with each family who would make their special survachka to perform the ritual.
Over time, as Christianity spread, Survakari blended with new beliefs, but its core remained the same and, instead of losing its meaning, the tradition gained new elements, with the younger members of the family taking on a central role.
The decorated survachka, traditionally made from dogwood branches, became a key symbol of this custom, with Its branches representing long life and strength, while the colorful decorations added charm. This stick became the tool used to bless people, animals, and even buildings.
Today, Survakari is still celebrated, especially in rural areas.
Though some parts of the tradition have evolved, its spirit of wishing well for the new year continues strong, keeping a connection to the past alive.

Images from web – Google Research