"Bocuk Night", which emerged in the common Balkan culture, is celebrated on the harshest night of winter. This usually falls in the middle of January. Various rituals are performed on this night. The purpose of these rituals is to ensure the abundant fertility of the house, to protect against evil by being together and creating a talismanic power, to spend the harshest night of winter together, to wish for endurance, health and well-being in the new year with the nature that will be resurrected and to measure it. Since the night of Bocuk symbolizes the harshest night of winter, it is believed that if a board is thrown into the water at night and the board is found frozen on the water in the morning, the people in that house will be healthy, healthy, durable and strong throughout that year.

On the night of Bocuk, zucchini is cooked in every house and everyone in that house must eat it, even if it is just a bite, otherwise it is believed that Bocuk will come and ride on the backs of those who do not eat zucchini that night. According to the belief, Bocuk will not come to the house where zucchini is cooked and eaten and do evil. Family members, neighbors and relatives attend the night of Bocuk. Pumpkin dessert, akıtma, boiled corn, pears, quince, seeds, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc. are eaten on the night. There are various ritualistic beliefs and customs performed on the night of Bocuk; at midnight, the neighbors are scared by dressing up in various clothes.

The most common type of scarecrow is the dead type because it resembles Bocuk, and neighbors are frightened by dressing up in white sheets, applying starch to the face, and placing fangs in the mouth. In addition, people dressed in various scary clothes walk the streets, usually as a group, visiting the houses chosen to scare and scaring them one by one. Sometimes sound elements are used, sometimes by playing a tin can.