Balgarianovinite.com Hundreds took part in the traditional men’s horo chain dance in the icy waters of the Tundzha River in Kalofer on Tuesday. The event is held annually of Epiphany, which is locally known as “Yordanovden” (the Day of the Jordan River) and celebrated across Bulgaria on January 6.
Kalofer Mayor Dragomir Boev told BTA that the participants in the chain dance traditionally number around 200 men of various ages from Kalofer.
The marking of Epiphany began with a solemn liturgy in the Church of Saint Archangel Michael. Afterwards, the men headed to Tundzha River in a procession, where the cross and the river were blessed. Then the traditional dance in the river was held.
It was followed by the Ephiphany ritual of the throwing of the cross in the river, performed across Bulgaria where thousands of men jump to retrieve the cross in the sea, in rivers, lakes or even swimming pools. As recovering the cross is considered a sign of good luck and health, local people in Kalofer believe that the participants in the river horo will be healthy all year round.
The cross was recovered by one of the men, after which it was handed over to the youngest participant in the Kalofer chain dance, the one-and-a-half-year-old Anton Alexiev, who was on his father’s shoulders.
The ritual of throwing the cross in Kalofer was revived in 1990 at the place where it had been performed on Epiphany since the time of Ottoman rule.
Mayor Boev told BTA that there is no institutional organization specifically for participants in the Epiphany ritual in Kalofer. According to him, it is a charge of energy and emotion, and everything is done with heart and soul by the men and boys of the town, who gather together at the river at a specific moment. He specified that in order for the people of Kalofer to be the first to enter the river, a pass system has been set up at the point of entry by young men from Kalofer and employees of the Ministry of Interior, who only allow local residents to enter in the first group. After the cross was retrieved, the rest of those wishing to participate in the traditional ritual were allowed to enter the river, Boev explained.
In the town, reservations at guest houses for January 6 are filled a year in advance, the Mayor of Kalofer also said, explaining that reservations are already being made for January 6, 2027. Hundreds Join Traditional Epiphany Chain Dance in Kalofer’s River 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-06 09:30:13 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
