The Macedonian Holiday Season

Sometime in November I began to notice the appearance of what we know as Christmas decorations in Negotino. Santa Claus was beginning to appear in various small shops, holiday lights were beginning to glow in the evening, and Coka Cola commercials on TV were beginning to have a holiday theme with Santa Claus as a main character. The town center was outfitted with seasonal lights. I began to wonder how Santa fit into the picture in Macedonia since they have no Saint Nicholas who brings gifts on Christmas. Santa works on New Year’s Eve in Macedonia.

As it was explained to me by my friends here in Probistip, celebrating religious holidays was frowned upon during the days of Communist rule. So rather than outlaw Santa while discouraging the Orthodox celebration of the birth of Jesus, he was permitted and encouraged to visit on the secular holiday of New Year’s Day. So today throughout Macedonia (and I suspect in all the other Orthodox countries in the world), Santa visits on this night. Christmas Eve (January 6) is celebrated with family dinners at home and Christmas Day is celebrated with extended families and friends. (if anyone reading this blog has anything to add or to correct my understanding of this holiday, please do so in the comments section below).

My town of Probistip has its New Year’s lights on the square and on the street poles on the main “thoroughfare” and many families have their New Year’s lights decorating their homes. I can see New Year’s trees shining through the windows of many of the apartments and homes. On Tuesday evening I attended a teacher’s party at the hotel. There were 70-or-so teachers from the schools in Probistip and everyone was dressed in their finest. There was a live band that played for three straight hours before dinner while the teachers danced various versions of what we know as the Hora, during the whole time. They really enjoy dancing here. I promised everyone at my table that by the next New Year I would be dancing with the best of them and playing the accordion. My first lessons are next week providing I can find a used accordion.

I traveled to the capital to celebrate New Years with my Peace Corp buddies Michael and Phil. Michael is assigned to an Non-Governmental Organization dealing with the textile industry, and has his modern apartment in Skopje. It’s a three hour bus ride from Probistip to Skopje (270 denari or @ $6) but it was time well spent. Unlike my apartment which was constructed a half century ago, Michael’s has all the conveniences of a modern apartment. It has up to date electrical wiring, hot water faucets in the kitchen and bathroom, radiators in every room, an elevator, and to top it off, his apartment faces the mountain, affording him a glorious view of the mountain and the large cross that oversees the city. For the first time in three months I was able to shave with hot water and take a shower in a heated bathroom.

Skopje is a cosmopolitan city so different from Negotino and Probistip. 700,000 people live there and it has everything you would expect to find in any major city in the world. So Phil and I hit the jackpot when we went to a large supermarket and found items that aren’t readily available at the smaller markets in our communities. I found some peanut butter, brown sugar, mustard in a jar rather than in a packet, dried spices, black tea, brown shoe polish, and food wrap, all of which I was able to bring back to Probistip. There were hundreds of other items that unfortunately I wanted (needed?) but one can only carry so much on a bus. But Phil and I were very pleased with our New Year’s presents that we purchased at the market and we are looking forward to enjoying them through the cold winter months.

The only problem we faced visiting Michael on this major holiday was that all the restaurants were closed for the two days we were in Skopje (they were all open for private parties only). We had hoped to dine out one night and we walked for quite some time looking for an open restaurant. We found only one – McDonalds. The establishment does a booming business so it was quite crowded with families and teenagers. So on New Year’s Eve for 2009, 5000 miles from the States, in a country somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, we dined at McDonalds - Big Mac, fries, and a Coke, double sized. It was rather good.

On Tuesday I travel to Negotino to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Boshik) with my host family. It will be a nice reunion.