Macedonian culture

[Jankovska]

We have a very rich culture, old, different and so amazing but I get the feeling that it's slowly dying out- something that worries me alot. For example ( Asians), Indians especially work very hard to buy their traditional clothes, visit tamples, play Indian music etc. I have a friend who is getting married soon and she it taking her family to India to do the shopping for the wedding coz it's tradition. On the other hand Macedonia has nothing like that. Our traditional wear is almost gone, you can maybe find it in some mountain village on an old lady but that is pretty much it. If a bright color sparkly saree can be appealing to a young asian girl born in a western country why don't we have anything like that?
London is very multicultural and that's exactly what makes it so amazing. But I look at me and I am not different, no one can say look she is Macedonian unless they talk to me ( which is harder coz everyone thinks I have sout african accent).
We have soooo many different customs, celebrations, holy days etc but i hardly know any and my kids will know none. Customs and obicai my gran knows, my mum knows half of those and I know maybe a third. My kids will hardly know anything. Something has to be done. We are trying so hard to become western that we don't realise we are giving up our very very rich culture for something that is so not worth it.

[777Bitola]

The country is modernizing. Happens to most if not all countries, i really dont see Macedonians wearing traditional clothes. But the holidays are well known in my family, and most people i know.

[Risto the Great]

We are trying so hard to become western that we don't realise we are giving up our very very rich culture for something that is so not worth it.

That pretty much sums it all up.
50 odd years of communist comrade hugging and kids who dream about Coca Cola makes this sort of thing happen.

[ZAS]

We have a very rich culture, old, different and so amazing but I get the feeling that it's slowly dying out- something that worries me alot. For example ( Asians), Indians especially work very hard to buy their traditional clothes, visit tamples, play Indian music etc. I have a friend who is getting married soon and she it taking her family to India to do the shopping for the wedding coz it's tradition. On the other hand Macedonia has nothing like that. Our traditional wear is almost gone, you can maybe find it in some mountain village on an old lady but that is pretty much it. If a bright color sparkly saree can be appealing to a young asian girl born in a western country why don't we have anything like that?
London is very multicultural and that's exactly what makes it so amazing. But I look at me and I am not different, no one can say look she is Macedonian unless they talk to me ( which is harder coz everyone thinks I have sout african accent).
We have soooo many different customs, celebrations, holy days etc but i hardly know any and my kids will know none. Customs and obicai my gran knows, my mum knows half of those and I know maybe a third. My kids will hardly know anything. Something has to be done. We are trying so hard to become western that we don't realise we are giving up our very very rich culture for something that is so not worth it.

In Krushevo every year for 2 weeks, the whole Town dresses in traditional clothes, you ought to visit.
Visitors are also encouraged to wear their traditional clothing also.

[Risto the Great]

Krushevo shows immense promise.

[The LION will ROAR]

My biggest concern is...the language being lost, those who live outside of Macedonia..
We all know it... First generations find it hard at the best of times..
2nd generations understand it but can't speak it..Why..? Because the first Generations will speak to them in English as I see it happening allot..
Then forget about the 3rd and 4th generations.. they'll forget even where their origins are from only their surnames will be around..
Also mixed marriages is a common thing now days and will happen more and more often....
Problem is that we don't have a strong community i.e., Clubs, Night Clubs etc so Macedonians could meet other Macedonians...

which is sad..

What are your opinions on this..?

[Pelister]

Krushevo shows immense promise.

So does Galichnik. I think they have a week in the year where they where only traditional clothing.

It would be great if it happened everywhere. Looking at it from a slightly different angle, the archives in Skopje have tonnes of stuff about us (alot of it forgotten, alot of it banned over 50 years ago). This stuff needs to be tapped into, and written about so that Macedonians and others in the West can read about it. Otherwise its just forgotten.

[Risto the Great]

What are your opinions on this..?

You have hit many nails on the head.
My kids will be the 3rd generation of Macedonians educated through the Australian schooling system. Would I insist they marry Macedonian girls? I would much prefer they marry a quality Macedonian girl, then a quality girl of any extraction .... more so than a Macedonian girl if she was a "slapper".
So the plot thickens.

[Jankovska]

It's difficult, I just feel we are throwing alot away, or forgetting alot. I mean, sure as hell I will do my best to introduce the Macedonian culture to my children but I know very little. The krushevo thing is amazing, it's just fantastic. I don't know maybe something similar can be introduced in most cities around Macedonia. I have never tried selski nosii, ever and my gran kept few for me but I never asked for them. She threw them away and I feel so sad now. Surley the Muslim spavaki don't look better then our clothes but they wear them in every day life.
The language is another problem we are facing, such a shame.
I don't have chidlren yet but I pray to god they marry a Macedonian.

[MKPrilep]

I had the great fortune to find a wonderful macedonian women
in my hometown prilep.
I know her since I was 14 years old and now we are married
one and a half year and we are living in germany.
doma samo sboruvame makedonski i sekoja godina odime kaj
nasite. i nasite deca taka ke go ucat prven makedonskiot jazik
i posle germanskiot.