arts & cultural experiences
acedonia
spot for watching the parade. The parade itself had an air of improvisation, criticism, sarcasm and just plain randomness as all the carnival groups performed their plays for hundreds of on-lookers while making their way up the steep mountain road. Many of the performances symbolized or ridiculed social events and figures. I found it interesting to hear that officially women do not participate in the carnival- they do dress up in disguise, but do not take off their masks in the end. I caught one rare sighting of a woman peeking out from her costume. I’ m just sorry to say she was one of those poo-flinging people I was running away from during the parade, as they literally sliced into the crowds from all directions with their cow tails and bags of manure. The Vevcani Carnival was quite possibly the scariest moment of my Peace Corps Service; in a good way.
Carnivals in Macedonia
Vevcani Carnival Prochka Carnival Bozovce Carnival Strumica Carnival
Read on for a sneak peak at other intriguing carnival events to add to next year’ s bucket list for how to ring in the holidays, Macedonian style.
by numerous guests from Macedonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria and Slovenia. Prochka, or The Day of Forgiveness according to the Orthodox Church, is a feast which precedes the honorable fast season, the greatest fasting period which prepares all Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter.
According to me, Prochka is a three day event, but the highlight is the parade on Sunday. Sunday is the day most commonly referred to as Prochka in
Prilep. It begins with masked visitors going doorto-door( usually to those they know, although I received an unknown masked kid at my apartment this year) requesting forgiveness. The requestor is then presented with money.... now isn’ t that somethin’! Not only are you granted forgiveness, but you are paid for your sins as well. For the parade, teams come from all over, both nationally and internationally, to compete for the best costume award. A masquerade ball is the culminating event on Sunday night.( Ask Julie about that!) Spring 2013 – 13 Spring 2013 – 13