[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me in costume (Sorry the lighting is less than ideal)"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Me in costume" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068360343/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6069/6068360343_441a11aafa_b.jpg" alt="Me in costume" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

I just got back from a weekend at the<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/19/zheravna-or-jeravna-folk-life-festival/" target="_blank"> Folk Life Festival in Zheravna</a>. I had the <em>best</em> time. It was really incredible to see thousands of people dressed up in costumes from all over Bulgaria and to be a part of that.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Detail of the edge of my apron"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Detail of the edge of my apron" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068361107/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6068361107_4823f9332a_b.jpg" alt="Detail of the edge of my apron" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

Moreover to see such reverence for a women's craft was really wonderful. I found myself amazed by the small details like the embroidery and the time and care that it takes to embroider row after row of flowers or other geometric designs on women's dresses and men's shirts. To think about how many collective hours different women both past and present spent embroidering these patterns is mind boggling let alone to think about sewing the entire costume.<!--more-->

Now here's the thing, the festival tries to evoke a feeling of life in Bulgaria in the 19th century and if I'd read the program's website a little more carefully I would have realized that things like sunglasses, cellphones and cameras are not allowed into the actual festival. But of course, I didn't. I was too excited about the thought of wearing my costume for two entire days to think: hey maybe you should bring your small purse sized camera <em>and</em> your cannon rebel xsi. I could have easily snuck my little camera in as must people did but instead I was forced to actually follow the rules and leave my cannon rebel in the room.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Mother in costume"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Mother in costume" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068931288/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6197/6068931288_f7d13e3e9a_b.jpg" alt="Mother in costume" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

The good thing about this? Well, I got to really focus on the festival. The bad thing? I don't have the kind of photos that I wished I did. I did manage to get out early on Sunday morning and capture a lot of photos of men and women in costume wandering around the streets of Zheravna. You can see these photos in my <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/19/zheravna-or-jeravna-folk-life-festival/" target="_blank">flickr photo album</a>.  These pictures are lovely in the mix of old and new in them but aren't as impressive as I imagine photos from the festival itself would have been. Ah well. Such is life.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Women walking in costume"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Women walking in costume" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068912708/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6068912708_4e5c0d9f82_b.jpg" alt="Women walking in costume" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

I would say the festival was well planned. It cost 20 leva for two days and there was plenty of traditional food to buy at very reasonable prices--2 leva for salad or a bowl of bean soup, a giant cup of wine for 5 leva or rakiya for 2 leva, grilled meat starting at 1 leva. This is one of the things that never ceases to amaze me. In the States at a festival like this food and drink prices are twice what you would normally pay because you are, well, a captive audience but in Bulgaria even at music festivals/concerts prices are about what you would pay in restaurant/bar. This is very strange to me but I can't complain.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Like father, like son"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Like father, like son" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068387249/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6198/6068387249_b0fca1d91a_b.jpg" alt="Like father, like son" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

As for the actual program there was lots of two things: singing and dancing. Both of these things were accompanied by live music/drums. Much of the program was meant to be observed so I spent a lot of time on Saturday sitting on a hill watching performances while shifting position regularly. I think that some how we picked the most uncomfortable place to sit (or maybe I am getting old).  Oh yeah, if you're planning on going in the future make sure that you bring a good (read, big) blanket to sit on. I was incredibly jealous of the people who had enough space to lie down in the middle of the rather hot afternoon.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me in Costume"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Me in Costume" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068360045/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6187/6068360045_d38fb14ed7_b.jpg" alt="Me in Costume" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

One of the highlights of the festival was to see a group fire-dance. This is something I'd read about but for whatever reason I never expected to actually see anyone dance on burning embers. I mean, the whole thing is a little crazy.

Basically this what happens. All day a fire made of hard wood burns and burns. Then as the logs burn down--ideally at dusk--a mound of embers is made. When the dance actually started there's a man responsible for spreading out the embers. First he pulled them off the mound with a shovel-like tool in four different directions to make a cross. Then he spread the embers out out to make a large circle.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="410" caption="Guest House"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Guest House" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6068377169/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6208/6068377169_bc19614e2c_b.jpg" alt="Guest House" width="410" height="614" /></a>[/caption]

Meanwhile there was music playing and a girl in a while dress holding an icon.  When it was actually time for her to dance because the embers had been spread out appropriately the music increased and she danced around the embers and right up to the edge a few times before actually crossing the field of glowing embers with the icon held high above her head. As she crossed smoke came off her feet.

In the dance that I saw then two men also joined her in dancing through the embers. There was a lot of drama in the dance as dancers kicked embers with their feet making them fly up to knee height in the night air but wild part was when the two men separately danced across the embers one holding a very small child seemingly plucked from the audience and the other man carried a young women across the embers. At one point this man stopped in the middle with the young woman squatting down over the embers with her in his arms--she was precariously close to the burning embers and his feet were unmoving. It was clearly a feat of strength, will-power, determination and faith.

Once the dance was over, the embers remained spread out and people from the audience went to test their luck at dancing (or in most cases sprinting) across the embers. I did not.

After this a huge bonfire was started across the field and the mass of people moved from watching fire-dancing to dancing the horo around the bonfire. It was the biggest horo I've ever danced in and it incredibly hot dancing near the fire but it was well worth it everyone was having so much fun.

I'll end on this note, lots of people have asked me why I picked the Kyustendil costume and the truth is I thought it was beautiful. I was torn between the Kyustendil costume and the Shoppe costume seeing as the latter is from the Sofia region but the Kyustendil costume won me over with the lace, the braiding, the apron and the cut of the top. Then this weekend it was also pointed out to me that one of Bulgaria's famous artists Vladimir Dimitrov, The Master, painted many girls from the Kyustendil region.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Vladimir Dimitrov &amp; a Girl from Kyustendil"]<img title="Girl from Kyustendil" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGFa1nb7OYg/TdOWO4f_KgI/AAAAAAAAADg/EuAxNsiZjfQ/s640/master016.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="544" />[/caption]