Sheep, Cheese, and Oil Wrestling
by Kerry Plath
On a sweltering Saturday in July, farmers and sightseers alike took to the high pastures of Mavrovo
to partake in Sheep Day. Mere hours before the start of the renowned Galichnik Wedding, a valley a
few kilometers before the village was transformed into a fair with livestock, competitions, local
crafts, food, and more. The free annual event is organized by multiple Macedonian agricultural
organizations, including the Regional Association of Sheepbreeders (Candice Wiggum’s primary
site). This year about fifteen PCVs made the trek up the mountain to partake in the festivities.
The events kicked off with opening speeches and traditional music midmorning. Spectators then
wandered the fields in hopes of elbowing through the crowds for a look at sheep shearing, sheep
milking, a horse race, shepherd dogs, and more. The largest crowd-pleaser, however, didn’t involve
sheep, but oiled men wrestling. In traditional pehlivan (Turkish) wrestling, the male wrestlers don
heavy-duty pants called kisbet and douse themselves with oil. Music accompanied the wrestlers who
fought to win the match by pinning their opponent or putting their arm through the opponent’s
kisbet. As with any worthwhile event in Macedonia, free food and wine were provided to make for a
perfect day!
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