  nestinarstvo (, ) is a fire ritual originally performed in several bulgarian- and greek-speaking villages in the strandzha mountains close to the black sea coast in the very southeast of bulgaria.xygalatas, dimitris, 2012. the burning saints. cognition and culture in the fire-walking rituals of the anastenaria london: equinox isbn 9781845539764 it involves a barefoot dance on smouldering embers (Ð¶Ð°ÑÐ°Ð²Ð°, zharava) performed by nestinari (Ð½ÐµÑÑÐ¸Ð½Ð°ÑÐ¸). it is usually performed on the square of the village in front of the whole population on the day of sts. constantine and helen or the day of the village's patron saint. the ritual is a unique mixture of eastern orthodox beliefs and older pagan traditions from the strandzha mountains. ==nestinar tradition== traditionally, the right to perform the ritual would be hereditary and the head nestinar may be succeeded only by his or her son or daughter, and only when he or she is too old or ill to continue performing it. the head nestinars house is sacred, because it houses the stolnina (ÑÑÐ¾Ð»Ð½Ð¸Ð½Ð°)&nbsp;â a small chapel where icons of several saints are arranged, as well as a sacred drum used specifically for the ritual and believed to cure the drummer if he is ill. ==description== on the day of the ritual the villagers would go to the stolnina led by the head nestinar and the priest, where they would watch him thurify the icons and the other nestinari, symbolically transferring spiritual power and inspiration to them. the people would then head to a holy spring carrying the name of the saint, where they would eat an offering of mutton. after sunset, the crowd would build up a large fire and would dance a horo (a traditional round dance) until the fire dies and only embers remain. the nestinaris barefoot dance on embers that follows as the climax of the night is accompanied by the beat of the sacred drum and the sound of a bagpipe. it is popularly thought that some of the dancers reach a religious state of trance while dancing, explaining why their feet don't burn and they alleged
Bulgarian_traditions Intangible_Cultural_Heritage_of_Humanity Strandzha