Every year, on the eve of the feast of St. Constantine and Helena, the mystical Strandzha Mountain opens its bosom for a great mystery – the fiery dances of the Strandzha fire dancers. Dancing barefoot in the embers scattered in the form of a cross, they purify themselves and the world around them from evil.
For three days we will enter the mystical fire-dancing world of Strandzha Mountain. We will visit the villages where the fire-dancing tradition is still preserved, we will see the fire-dancing icons, chapels, and churches, we will walk to the Kingdom of the Periwinkle, and on the feast of St. Constantine and Helena – June 3, we will immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the national fire-dancing holiday in the village of Balgari, where in the evening the great mystery will take place – the fire-dancing dances.
And because of the focus of SlowTours.BG is not only on Bulgarian traditions and rituals but also on gastronomy and local food, in the three days of our trip we will enjoy delicious Strandzha mountain dishes.
Fire-dancing is an ancient custom from Eastern Thrace, which is associated with the cult of the Sun. The name αναστενάρια (from Greek) or “fire dancing”, according to some, comes from the Greek word “anastenagmos” – sighing, and groaning, which is characteristic of the behavior of fire dancers during the trance. According to others, the name comes from the Greek “hestia” – fire, or from ανασταίνω (anasteno) – resurrection. The custom was first described in 1862 by Petko R. Slaveykov, and in 2009 the fire rite was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
The month of May is called “Kostadinski” because it marks the beginning of the summer ritual fire-fighting cycle. On June 3 and 4, in the old style, is the big holiday “St. Kostadin (Konstantin) and St. Elena”, which is held in the village of Balgari. The ritual begins early in the morning, with the dressing of the icons, after which special icon-bearers, accompanied by a drum and bagpipes, carry them to the Holy Spring (from the Greek – “sacred spring”), where they bathe them again. It is believed that on this day the water is extremely healing and St. Kostadin. Then the icons return to the konak – a ritual cult building, which stores the fireworks attributes – the icons and the drum, which is a manifestation of St. Kostadin (St. Constantine).
The “konak” is either in the home of the oldest firefighter or in the center of the village. There, from the special “Strandzha hearth”, it is taken out of the embers and the first fire dancing games of the year happen, say the fire dancers. The fire is collected and spread until it takes the form of a Christian cross, in front of which several prayers are also said. And here comes one of the most inexplicable native traditions – walking on fire. The men take the icon of the saints and enter the flames, and the women go through the fire shouting “vah, vah, vah”. Hence comes the widespread exclamation “vay”, which is especially popular in the villages of Strandzha Mountain.
The days in which this mystical rite is performed are St. Marina, St. Elijah, St. Panteleimon, and St. Virgin Mary (old style). The most important is the belief in the living connection between man and the saint, as well as that the saints are in the holy places and in the icons, and the drum is actually the voice of St. Kostadin. And the fire-dancing melody “buenek” is in 2/4 measure and according to the beliefs, is one of the most sacred measures in the Bulgarian musical tradition.
The summer fire dancing ritual cycle ends on St. Dimitrov’s Day, and on the last day, firefighters from Bulgaria and Greece gather in the village of Brodilovo and together enter the fire, “caught by the saints.”
