WHEN TO COME TO MACEDONIA?

Strumica Annual Carnival ( 14- 19 Febbruary )

THE STRUMICA CARNIVAL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOM AND TRADITION OF SUCH KIND IN THE REPUBLIC, WHICH MOST PROBABLY WENT FARTHEST IN ITS TRANSFORMATION FROM ALL THE TRADITIONAL DANCES UNDER MASKS, BOTH FOR THE TIME AND ITS AIM AND FUNCTION. THE STRUMICA CARNIVAL IS TRADITIONALLY HELD EACH YEAR WITHIN THE “TRIMERI” DAYS, THAT IS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LENTEN FAST, AND AS THE NAME ITSELF CARNEVAL, FROM THE LATIN CARNE – MEAT AND VALI – GOODBYE, THAT IS GOODBYE MEAT WHICH ASSOCIATES THE BEGINNING OF THE FAST, IN THIS CASE THE LENTEN FAST. THE BEGINNING OF THE FAST OR THE FIRST THREE DAYS ARE CALLED “TRIMERI” DAYS AND THEY ALWAYS BEGIN ON SUNDAY EVE OF FORGIVENESS AND LAST UNTIL WEDNESDAY, WITHIN THESE DAYS THAT IS TO SAY ON TUESDAY IS THE TRADITIONAL CARNIVAL NIGHT, WHEN MASKED GROUPS STROLL THROUGH THE TOWN AND GOT TO THE HOMES WHERE THERE ARE ENGAGED GIRLS AND STAY UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.THE MASKS ARE CHOSEN BY THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES. EACH PARTICIPANT CHOOSES HIS/HER OWN TOPIC AND IDEA FOR MASKING, WHILE THE GROUP MASKING IS THE JOINT IDEA OF THE WHOLE GROUP. THE MASKS ARE MADE BY THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES AND VERY RARELY APPEAR AS READY MADE MASKS. THE REPARATION OR THE MAKING STARTS VERY EARLY, MAINLY 2-3 MONTHS, AND EVEN MORE BEFORE THE CARNIVAL ITSELF. FROM THE MASK TYPES THE MOST FREQUENT ARE ANTHROPOMORPHIC, AND ALSO THERE ARE ZOOMORPHIC AND ZOO-ANTHROPOMORPHIC MASKS. IN THOSE DAYS THE WHOLE TOWN LIVES WITH AND FOR THE CARNIVAL.