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Welcome to our project
Travel plan
Teachers' live meeting to plan and test everything!
Letter of welcome and tickets for the journey
We are travelling together - in one train
Where we are from in Europe
Our teachers
Our travelling parties
Our schools
Towns and Cities that we want to visit
Towns suggested by German students
World Heritage Sites (UNESC0)
Group-Puzzle (Poland, Wrocław)
Luther (Germany)
A Bulgarian ritual in the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO
Proposals for local World Heritage Sites
UNESCO criteria - crossword (from Poland, Wrocław)
German proposal no 1
German proposal no 2
Proposal for a unique Bulgarian tradition
The perfect journey - collecting ideas
Train as a means of transport 1
Sustainable food
Sustainable detergents for our train
Sustainable contracts for people working in the train
Our behaviour as tourists
The perfect journey - our plan!
Travelling by train
Perfect menu for the train
Perfect contracts for the employees
our Unesco journey
Meeting people during the journey
French students are travelling
Locomotives
Our logo - vote for the most suitable locomotive
Christmas cards and other greetings
Christmas cards from Bulgaria
Christmas cards from France
Greetings from the journey
The perfect journey - our evaluation
Waving goodbye
One Train for Europe - the final presentation
Teachers' evaluation
Online Book - final comments from Polish team (Wrocław)
A Bulgarian ritual in the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO
Nestinari
Live coal dancing
Live coal dancing, also known as fire dancing, is a centuries old Bulgarian tradition. The village of Bulgari, situated in Strandzha region, is the only place in Bulgaria where live coal dancing still exists in its original form. It takes place on the 3
rd
July, according to the old calendar, when Bulgarians celebrate Saints Constantine and Helena’s day. They are the patron saints of this ritual. People dance on live coals to ensure the fertility and the well-being of the village. Dancers can be men or women.
On the 3
rd
July, early in the morning, villagers cover the icons of both saints with special decoration. Forming a festive procession, people take the saints’ icons to a holy water spring. There, people receive holy water and candles for good health. In the evening, dancers go to St. Constantine chapel. They light candles and pray in front of the icons.
Meanwhile, other villagers spread some preheated coals in a circle. When darkness falls, the dancers, called Nestinari, go to the centre of the village to the accompaniment of a drum and a bagpipe. The chief fire dancer starts the ritual. Carrying an icon, the first enters the circle of live coals, entranced by the rhythm of the drum. The other Nestinari follow him. The circulation of this ritual is Kostadinsko Horo (a round dance). It differs from all other Bulgarian round dances. The dancers perform the first step with their left feet, something uncommon for the round dances of Bulgaria.