Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Nestinari dancing on live embers in Bulgari village

Photo: BGNES, archive

The day of Saints Constantine and Helena is marked today (3 June, old style) in the village of Bulgari in Mount Standzha, with traditional nestinari games. 

Saturday’s programme begins with a nestinari ritual early in the morning, and then from 1 PM until 7 PM the documentary “Footsteps in the fire” will be screened. There will be a photo exhibition of the nestinari ritual at the information centre in the village, followed by a folklore concert programme with the participation of ensemble Tsarevo from the Georgi Kondolov 1914 chitalishte (culture community club). 


The nestinari games proper will begin at 9.30 PM.  At 10 AM on the next day, June 4, there will be an icon procession.

Bulgari is one of few villages where the authentic nestinari tradition has been preserved to this day. Every year, the nestinari ritual of dancing on live embers comes to life in the village in the first days of June, to the sound of drums, as a way of honouring the patron saints of the village – Constantine and Helena.

Compiled by Veneta Nikolova

Photos: Facebook/selobulgari, BGNES



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

UK includes Bulgarian criminals in the "Deportation Now" scheme

Bulgarian citizens with criminal charges will be deported from the UK without the right to appeal the decision before expulsion . Bulgaria is among 15 countries added to a system called "Deportation Now, Appeal Later", BNR Horizont reported...

published on 8/11/25 6:15 PM

The Holy Trinity church in Madison is hosting its sixth annual Bulgarian festival

The Holy Trinity Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Madison, Illinois, is hosting the Sixth Annual Bulgarian Festival and invites the local Bulgarian community to join in the celebration. The event will take place on Sunday, September 28, from 12:00 p.m. to..

published on 8/11/25 4:33 PM

Consumer basket rises by 51 euro cents over the week

The prices of several essential foods increased last week . Items such as pork, yoghurt, cheese, oil, and certain fruits and vegetables—including tomatoes and cucumbers—became more expensive. As a result, the consumer basket rose by 1 lev (0.51 euro),..

published on 8/11/25 4:09 PM