cultural experiences
DAYS
singing to music on television. At midnight
we stopped to toast the New Year that
was starting in such a joyous fashion.
Jan 6th Christmas Eve: I spent Macedonian
Christmas Eve 2013 with my counterpart
and her family. Taking part in traditions that
were completely new to me (and having
them explained in English) was fascinating.
This year, however, I decided to experience
a “big city” version in the company of other
“slightly older” PCVs. Christmas Eve morning
I joined 14 other people on the bus—
definitely not a typical Monday. After meeting
Ada Jackson, and Sandi & Rob Merrigan, we
found an open restaurant for a very late lunch.
Then we headed out to see the city’s holiday
lights at night: a magical sight! Wandering
the strangely quiet, nearly
deserted streets of Macedonia’s
capital was wonderful. A large,
pagoda-style Christmas tree
caught my eye as did the red
and yellow lights illuminating
a
museum’s
columns.
Shanti Hostel with visitors from Italy, Australia,
and Japan along with the hostel’s Macedonian
staff. The international camaraderie was
spontaneous, and everyone enjoyed
participating in the ritual of eating holiday bread
with its “good luck” coin inside.
Jan 7th Christmas: Our first stop on Christmas
morning was the St. Clement of Ohrid
Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral. From the
wall of religious paintings across the front of
the church to the brilliant blue and gold colors
of Christ’s image on the dome and massive
chandelier hanging below it, the beauty
of Skopje’s largest Orthodox Church was
impressive. It seemed the perfect time to have
made my first visit. The rest of the day included
more wandering, eating, and talking as the city
slowly started coming back to life around us.
After finding an open antique
shop, we spent a beguiling hour
among thousands of disparate
objects covering every surface
from floor to ceiling. As the
only
potential
customers
in his establishment, the
shopkeeper
regaled
us
with intriguing details about
his many treasures. Each
of us made a purchase!
Our evening ended at the
Winter 2014 – 11