TUIDA

Patricia Drenska of 4a grade of school "Dimitar Petrov" in Sliven took first place in the competition for making mummer masks - "Mummers masks -Tuida 2017". She and other honors were awarded at an official ceremony.

The second place took Denitsa Kaltcheva and Nikolai Nikolayev of 5 grade of school "St. Cyril and Methodius".

The third award is for Marin Cholakov of 3b grade of school "Panayot Hitov."

Special Prize of the team of fortress Tuida get a 12-year-old Rumyana Sasheva of 5c grade of school "Brothers Miladinovi".

All participants in the competition received certificates. Masks are now out in the covered exhibition at the Visitor Center of the fortress. The exhibition will continue until March 5, 2017. Thanks to the participation of students, all masks are sensational and deserve a reward! With the competition aimed to provoke the curiosity of the young generation and make them learn more about the tradition. We wish all participants continue to be just as creative and inquisitive, and their parents and teachers we attach recognition the encouragement and support!

The competition on "Mummers masks" for making mummer masks from different regions of Bulgaria announced in early February. It was held on the occasion of ritual Surva and accompanying masquerade games in Bulgaria.Mummer traditions in our country originate from more than 8000 years.An old tradition between Meat and Sirni Sunday before Lent in Eastern Bulgaria and between Christmas and Epiphany in western Bulgaria are held mummers games. Surva the ritual belongs to the winter celibatarian masquerade games and is associated with the change of the old and the new year, approaching awakening of nature. Traditionally on Shrove Sunday young and old people are dress up as "old" scary and other characters from the popular epic (grandmother, grandfather, bride, king, etc.).The masks who wear are shaped like the heads of strange beings and animals with scary faces and protruding teeth, horns, tails, beaks clacking or with complex structures made of feathers of poultry on a wooden skeleton.

At the end of the day mummers gather in the square and the sound of bells play for health and prosperity. These traditions and rituals involve young to experience things stored identity of peoples for centuries.