Bulgarian Folk Games Viana de Castelo – Portugal 19May May 2014

Presents The game is played with least 5 players. But it’s more interesting with more players. All players lines up and only one players stands in front of them. Every kid whispers a name on the other kid’s ear. The name must be of kid that takes part in the game. After that the player that is in front of the line says to everyone to go to his present and to tell him or her something or to make something. For example: “Mario, go to your present and tell him/her that he/she is very beautiful”. Then the kid must go to the kid whose name had been whispered in his or her ear and to tell him that he is handsome.

POLICEMEN AND THIEVES The children are divided in two teams. The players from one team are policemens, and those from the other are thieves. The thieves think out a password for their team. Policemens must chase the thieves until catch of them. After the thieves are caught they must say the password that they where think out. Then the teams change and the game starts again

HIDE-AND-SEEK This game is played with more than two players. One of the players closes his or her eyes with a palm and counts, while the others are trying to look for hidden a place and hide themselves. When counter stops to count, he says, "One,two,three, I'm opening my eyes, that one who has not hidden, he is it!" and starts seeking them. He or she says to the one who is found last "It's your turn to be it!" And this kid will count and seek again.

LADDER It is also a ball game it is very difficult. It has 5 levels. The ball is hit with different parts of the body. 1st level- you must make 10 feet (kick the ball up with foot) 2nd level- you must make 10 knees (hit the ball up with a knee) 3rd level- you must make 10 hands ( hit the ball up with a palm side of the hand) 4th level- you must make 10 hands ( hit the ball up with the upper side of the hand) 5th level- you must make 10 heads (hit the ball up with a knee) One, who makes only 9 feet, knees, hands or heads, begins from the start.

FOLK DODGE BALL Folk dodge ball is a very popular game for Bulgarian kids. It is also taught in Physical education classes. The children divide in two teams with equal number of players. The minimum number of players to start a match is four players but they could be 6 or 10. The playing field is divided in half by a center line and 2 "attack" or end lines. Each team choose one child for a captain(a consul). The teams cast lots to chose their half of the playground. The captains stay behind the opponents end line. The object of the game is by throughing the ball to hit an apponent players or to pass the ball to their captain until eliminate all of the opposition players. Throught the game players trying to avoid being hit by a ball that players on the other team are throwing at them. A hit but fail to catch the ball player leaves the field. If the ball remains in the game field of the hit players, his or her team has the right to continue the game. If the ball leaves outside the outlines of the playfield, the right to play with it has the team from its field it is left. The winner is this team, which succeeds to send away all opponent players.

Kukeri It’s a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with costumed men performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals (sometimes double- faced) and large bells attached to the belt. Around New Year and before Lent, the kukeri walk and dance through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, and happiness to the village during the year.BulgarianbellsNew YearLent

The students are playing some of this folk games

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