The mountain village Peshtera is located in the region Zemen, Bulgaria. Nowadays, its permanent inhabitants are around 150 people, but they become much more around the days of Surva (14 January) – all of them there to enjoy the excitement of the masquerade. The masked here are called ‘Predreshlyatsi’. Their costumes are made from old pieces of many-colored fabric cut in bands or from fur turned inside out. There is a local competition between the participants who will carry the greatest number and the noisiest bells. The masks are often made from goat or sheep leather, wooden forms, horns and tails. The teeth in the open mouth are made from large white beans.
Collecting materials for the masks is not difficult because all the farmers in the village who raise sheep or goats willingly give leathers to help the masquerade and to see their materials used to create these unique pieces of folk art.
Additional textual Sources: survakari.com
