Long time ago, an educated man called Yambol region “the land of the mummers”.  This description is, in fact, very truthful. Since ancient times, the mummers’ customs have been connected with agriculture, industry, and the belief in the better times for the Bulgarian people. Revelry, games, magic, and blessings for fertility and health. These customs have lost their former meaning with the time, but they have been preserved and observed as a national tradition. According to the tradition, at many places in Bulgaria, they are performed annually on the appointed day. But recently, another, unknown side of mummers appeared, which is ostentation and rivalry. Mummers have turned into a theatre and entertainment. Due to this reason Yambol fancy dress festival “Kukerlandiya - Mummers’ land” has become not only the greatest spectacle in the town, but also one of the most important holidays in Bulgaria.

This curious modern tradition began on the twelfth of February, two thousand. On this day a wine carnival is organized in the village of Vesselinovo and in the town of Yambol. To make the holiday more picturesque, mummers’ groups from all over Bulgaria were invited. On that day fifteen groups from the regions of Yambol, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, and others outplayed one another. The venue for the first mummers’ competition was the stadium in the village of Vesselinovo. The town square was the venue for awarding the winners. This wasn’t all. A huge cask full of one thousand three hundred and eighty-six liters of wine, given by the mayor, was placed in the center of Yambol. All citizens and guest were eager to empty it.

The next year, two thousand and one, the municipality of Yambol became involved in the event. The name Wine carnival received an official addition – Fancy dress carnival. Following the tradition, one of the main activities on this festive day was clipping the vines. Some volunteers brought a vine to the town square and put it in the garden in front of the House of the municipality. Then, the long-expected ritual of the clipping was performed. Sixteen groups from the region of Yambol and the whole country took part in the holiday. Although it was called a carnival, the people from Yambol only judged who the better was, and were, of course, responsible for drinking the wine.

Since two thousand and four, there has been no wine carnival, and the town organized only a fancy dress festival. In the same year, twenty-five groups from the whole country participated in the revelry, and twelve of them were from Yambol. The event was described in the following satisfactory way in Yambol newspaper “Trakietz”: “Sheep bells rang, fearful masks frightened the timid ladies and the young children. There was laughter, there were emotions, and there was plenty of wine and wishes God to give such a joyful holiday next winter, as well. The fancy dress games lasted for seven hours, and there were seven hundred participants in the festival. They strenuously chased away the evil from Yambol and Bulgaria with their conjuring dances, masks, and wishes. They turned the seventh of February, two thousand and four, into a fairy of sounds and colors.”

Since two thousand and five, foreign fancy dress groups have taken part in the festival in Yambol. The organizers – the municipalities of Yambol and Tundja, had the lovely ambition to turn this traditional into an international event.  So it happened – in the next years much more foreigners started coming. Guests from Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Greece marched in procession round Yambol.

So, little by little, Yambol fancy dress festival became the most expected holiday in the region. In two thousand and eight it was renamed to “Kukerlandiya - Mummers’ land”. The number of the groups increased – they are thirty six now.

In two thousand and nine Yambol became member of the Federation of the European carnival Cities, and in the beginning of two thousand and ten, the name “Kukerlandiya” became trademark of Yambol municipality. The tenth edition of Kukerlandiya was more than impressive with its scale and diversity.

Every winter, the number of the participants, as well as the popularity of Yambol Kukerlandiya increases. We don’t want to use any big words, but in two thousand and fourteen there were over three thousand participants from all over the world. The groups marched in procession through the town for two days. The young men danced so much that some witnesses claimed they could be heard as far as Sliven Mountains.