Ice horo /Bulgaria/

The famous male horo in the town of Kalofer / Bulgaria / applies for the UNESCO list. According to the Mayor of the city, the centuries-old ritual meets the requirements of the World Heritage Organization. Thus the custom will be popularized around the world. This unique tradition is a cradle of Bulgarian culture and is an emblem of the whole of Bulgaria. The preparations for the Ice Horo of Epiphany begin as early as evening. Warm up with wine, appetizers, hot peppers, play the bagpipe. In the morning thousands of people from home and abroad gather near the icy Tundja River. Local men, dressed in folk costumes, sing and bend horo in the river, accompanied by a folk orchestra. The priest throws the cross into the water, and if the wrists of the geranium with the cross in the hands of the one who pulls it freezes - the year will be fertile and happy, according to the people's belief. The ritual, which dates back over 200 years, is for purification, health and male power, and this year includes children, the mayor explains.