Bulgaria
Evil spirits be gone
PHOTOGRaPH BY aRON KlEIN
It’s an ancient tradition carried out in
Balkan regions each winter. People
dressed in animal skins, masks and
elaborate costumes of their own
creation walk and dance through
villages to chase away evil spirits in
a ritual that pre-dates Christianity.
The sounds of the bells around their
waists – handed down through
generations of family members –
and the grotesque nature of the
get-ups are thought to scare away
even the ugliest of monsters. Kukeri,
as they’re known, were traditionally
men and boys, but in recent years
women and girls have begun taking
part in the custom. This image is of
a female kuker posing with her son
outside a rural village in Bulgaria.