The only village in Bulgaria, which has preserved the authentic custom of fire dancing, remains the village of Bulgari in Strandzha mountain. To see how the dancers overpower the fire under the rhythm of the drums, you must visit the village on June 2. On 3rd of June, in the old style, the feast of St. Constantine and Elena is celebrated. The preparation for the holiday in the village starts early in the morning on June 2nd, and it starts precisely at 8 a.m. with bell ringing that announces the beginning of the holiday.
According to the ritual, the icons of St. Constantine and St. Elena are sanctified, then dressed, and under the rhythm of drums and bagels, they are solemnly carried to the holy spring Ayazmo. Then the procession returns to the village and the icons are left to rest in the Konak. There, according to the legend, is the home of the saints who are visiting the feast. In the Konak, the fire-dancers prepare for the dance and fall into a trance.
At around 2:30 p.m. the festive fire on which the embers later are dancing is ritually fired. Around the flames is the melody of the drums and the bagpipes is played horo /typical Bulgarian dance/. From 4 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center guests can learn more about the custom and watch the films “Steps in the Fire”. The screenings last up to 8 p.m.
At 5 p.m., the culinary bazaar will be opened, where you can taste authentic local specialties. At 7 p.m. is the start of the folklore concert program. At 09:30 p.m. the icons are exported from the Konak and travel around the church. At 10 p.m. start the ancient and Games of fire. Only the possessed by the spirit of the saint enter the fire, but sometimes people from the audiences also feel the urge to go into the fire.
