Nestinars in southeastern part of Bulgaria

Diploma thesis Nestinars in southeastern part of Bulgaria focuses on the material and spiritual culture of Nestinars, a small group of people living in region of Strandja. The body of work describes in detail the specific phenomena of spiritual culture, which cut across the structure of traditional and contemporary Bulgarian folk customs. It describes ceremonies that are part of the clan, family, annual festivals and church calendar. Nestinars as a subculture, whose socio-cultural negotiations and ideas to some extent differ from the majority of the Orthodox population, they are perceived externally as part of it. In this work we meet with traditional clothing, folklore music and holy sacrifice. The parallel with the Greek rite anastnaria is mentioned in the work as well. Both groups represent a traditional ceremony where believers show their devotion to the saints by dance and walking on burning wood charcoal. Keywords nestinars - social group tradition - the transmission of customs and beliefs from generation to generation usually in framwork of certain culture or social group ceremony - a formal religious or public occassion, typically one celebraing particular event or anniversary; or ritual observances or procedures performed at grand and formal occassions to keep group's norms and values of..