Fire dancing / Nestinari custom

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Fire-dancing is a Bulgarian custom in which the main ritual element is dancing on fire. It is performed in several villages between the Strandzha Mountains and the Black Sea on the holiday of St. Konstantin and Elena. The whole village participates in the festival. But only the chosen – the fire-dancers /nestinari/ take part in the ritual dancing. They are considered to be chosen by the patron saint of the holiday, they can see him, they can “hear” his voice, his spirit inspires them, they become “possessed”, they can see with his eyes in the future, they can solve secrets, give advice, reproach. Fire-dancers can be men and women of different age, but of the same kin, and their skill is inherited by the daughters and sons. “Stolnina” of the fire-dancers is a small chapel in the house of the main woman fire-dancer. In the center of the icon-stand, which faces east, are placed the icons of St Konstantin and St. Elena, surrounded by the icons of the God’s Mother, St. George, St. Panteleymon, Holy Land patterns and red kerchiefs with a picture of the sun on them.

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Tags: custom, dancing, tourism

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