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In 2021, the so-called “male dance” will be abolished in the waters of Tundzha. The reason is the coronavirus pandemic and regulations to avoid crowds in one place.
Personally, the mayor of Kalofer, Rumen Stoyanov, calls on citizens to refrain from the traditional people of the city, which is celebrated on Jordan Day.
In front of a local website, he specified that the priests will bless the Epiphany cross, which is placed on the bridge over the river and the traditional throwing of the cross into the water will take place.
However, Stoyanov called on citizens to observe measures against the epidemic and stated that he would set a personal example by refraining from dancing and gathering many people in one place.
The “men’s dance,” also called the “ice dance,” takes place on January 6 to mark the Jordan Day / Epiphany. Early in the morning, the men enter the cold waters of the Tundzha River to perform a traditional dance.
The ice dance is played only in the waters of the Tundzha in Kalofer and is a complex ritual that intertwines a number of pagan and Christian beliefs.
Dance has been the subject of much controversy among ethnologists and historians. Some argue that it was “created” in the 1970s and is more of a tourist attraction than an old tradition.
Others believe that male dance dates back to Turkish slavery, when the people of Kalofer took the fear of the Ottomans and surrounding villages with their courage to enter the icy waters of the river.
Almost 15,000 people perform the most important male dance.
