Vevcani’s carnival

An event that happens once a year and celebrates the coming of the new year by the old calendar, but by the new calendar is on the 13^th and 14^th of January, it’s a combination between the old a the new way of celebrating.

This carnival is distinctive from the rest in the world because of its archaic, traditional, mystical and unique masks. It’s an even that thousands of foreign visitors admire every year.

It is a holiday in Vevcani in those three days, the locals are celebrating day and night , there are traditional and modern masks into the carnival all in honor of celebrating the Protector St. Vasilij, who keeps safe all of the people that wear the masks, called "Vasilicari".

This carnival is believed that is old as 1400years, and it happens every year at the center of the village, but moves all around the whole village as a street theatre where the "vasilicari" do their performance.

There are three traditional masks: the groom, the bride and "glupi avgust" and, of course there are the music bands, two of them, one from the lower neighborhood and the other one from the upper neighborhood. The other masks are a reflection of the public life that happened during the past year.

The mask "glupi avgust" is usually played by young men who are energetic and willing to communicate with the crowd in a very specific way, movements and a special scream.

During the carnival, the ones that are masked have all the freedom and liberty to turn the "world" upside down, and this is where all the creativity and improvisation through irony come to light and that is all in the good spirit of the carnival.