arts & cultural experiences
By Hana Truscott , MAK 16
Have you ever been chased by faceless men clad in red KKK-esque devil costumes flinging cow poo at you with real cow tails ?
Welcome to the 2013 “ old ” New Year ’ s Carnival in Vevcani , Macedonia that takes place annually on Orthodox new year ’ s eve and day ( Jan 13-14th ). It ’ s a tradition that dates back fourteen centuries , and turns the entire mountain town of Vevcani into a theatrical stage on which hundreds of disguised participants enjoy every freedom and passion to “ place the world upside down ” ( hence , our poo-flinging aggressors ).
Our bright orange public bus was confronted by a paparazzi of carnival participants decked out as demons and devils banging on the outside of the bus
The Many Masks of M
as we slowly pulled into the outskirts of the mountain town of Vevcani . Their silence was drowned out by their loud and lurid gesticulations . Their presence on the streets gave the town an eerie feel that prickled my skin even before I got off the bus . The one respite from my overall sense of foreboding was when I caught sight of Obama ( or rather , a carnival groupie decked out in an oversized Obama mask that made him into a bobble head Obama ). He stood on the side of the road waving an American flag and beaming at us with that big Obama grin . That made me smile .
As we got off the bus , more masked carnival groups moved about us communicating by means of peculiar movements , gesticulations and screams as we made our way up the hill to snag a good standing
Photos by Hana Truscott & Julie Tumasz , Vevcani Carnival PCV group
Prochka Carnival
12 – Pauza Magazine 12 – Pauza Magazine
Review by : Terri Jones , MAK16 Location : Prilep , Macedonia
Festival Dates ( 2013 ): Weekend of March 16 th History & Highlights :
According to the Macedonia Timeless website , Prochka is a three-day annual carnival in Prilep , Macedonia , organized by the “ Prilepski Meckari ” association . This year the carnival was attended