The Surova Folk Feast in Pernik region (Central Western Bulgaria) takes a special place amongst the traditional masquerade games. It is performed every year on the 13th and 14th of January – the folk New Year (St Basil’s day according to the old Julian church calendar). The feast is known as Surva, Surova or Sirova. For the local settlement communities today, Surova is the most anticipated feast of the year. The main activity in this tradition is the masquerade ritual, which encourages a happy and positive transition from the old to the New Year.
The Surova Folk Feast in Pernik Region is inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.