Picture This: Ringing in the Holidays

Christmas in Bitola. Dec 25th.

Christmas in Bitola. Dec 25th.

Orthodox Christmas, back in Bitola! Jan 8th

Christmas star above my driveway.

Winter in Novaci. My walk to work.

Winter in Novaci. My white house on the left. Baba (Grandma) Mountains in the distance.

New Year's eve party in Bitola!
Dec 31st.

Old New Year's blindfold dinner at PCV Stephen's.
Jan 13th.

Orthodox "Old" New Year's parade!
See those guys/girls dressed all in red? They were flinging cow poo with cowtails.
We ran away from them.

Masquerading with PCV LeDora.

Hangin out with the demons and Faron.

Happy "Old" New Year from Peace Corps Macedonia!

happiness IS.

Girl's night out in Bitola!
With Blagica, Karolina, and Vesna

Girl's night out in Bitola!
With Miriana.

Igorche's FIRST Thanksgiving!
Prilep

Fall outing with Igorche.

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 "old" New Year's Carnival in Vevcani, Macedonia that takes place on Orthodox new year's eve (Jan 13th) and new year (Jan 14th) each year. It's a tradition that dates back 14 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 agressors).

Stay away from these guys! Vevcani Carnival photo by Boris Grdanoski www.nola.com

  

Our bright orange public bus was nearly turned upside down by carnival participants decked out as demons and devils banging on the outside of the bus as we slowly pulled into the outskirts of the mountain town of Vevcani. Their silence was drowned out by their loud, lurid and at times vulgar gesticulations. Their presence on the streets of Vevcani gave the town an eerie feel that creeped me out before I even got off the bus (do a Google Image search: http://www.google.com/imghp  for "Vevcani Carnival" and you'll see what I mean).  The one respite from my overall sense of nauseation was when I caught sight of Obama (or rather, a carnival groupie decked out in an oversized Obama mask that made him look like a bobblehead). 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 spot to watch 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 thousands of on-lookers while making their way up the steep mountain road. Many of the performances sybmolized and/or ridiculed social events and figures. One carnival group carried a casket in which the country of Greece was laid to rest. (There is significant tension between Greece and Macedonia that I could have never imagined before living here). I found it interesting 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 cow poo. It was quite atrocious!  

Random mix of carnival participants and Peace Corps Volunteers at Vevcani Carnival 2013

The whirlwind of winter holidays in Macedonia has finally died down after two Christmases, two New Years, Thanksgiving, Epiphany, and a few Saints day celebrations. Highlights included running randomly into my host sister Daniela and her husband Toshe at the Vevcani Carnival amidst the thousands of on-lookers!  Daniela recognized me despite my disguise!

Vevcani with Daniela and Toshe

The other holiday highlight: this guy.

Meet Lui Makedonski. Pic taken as I write this blog.

From the first day I moved into my house here in the village of Novaci I wanted a kitten. I wanted to give refuge to a kitty that needed a home.  With the abundance of cats and dogs that run free here (without spayed or neutering services) I didn't think I'd have to wait long.  Fourteen months later, on Jan 14th and within an hour of my return home from the Vevcani Carnival weekend, Lui walked into my life. Or rather, he was carried in a big brown box through my front door unbeknownst to me until I was told to open the box.  There curled up in a dark corner was the sweetest holiday surprise, albeit a raggedy, little dirty one. From the moment I picked him up he didn't leave my lap for over four hours. He took to his litter box right away and after a good shampoo bath, there's hardly a moment that he's not curled up in my blankets or on my lap. He's a mama's boy. And the perfect company to snuggle up with this Macedonian winter.

New holiday photos posted above.

Lots of LOVE.

-- 

Хана T.