Surprising custom in Macedonia

[Risto the Great]

I was quite astounded to see a DVD of my brother's brother-in-law's wedding last night. A handful of people attended the church ceremony, then about 1000 attended the reception.

How ridiculous. I said "Is this a communism leftover or what?"

I think I offended my sister-in-law.

[Daskalot]

Why would it be communist to attend a reception of a wedding?

[Risto the Great]

I am saying the Commies don't go to the the tsrkva.

[Daskalot]

aha, but the church was never banned in communist Yugoslavia....... nor was religion, Yugoslavia was not atheist like Russia or Albania.....

[Delodephius]

Members of the Communist Party were not allowed to go to church, but that didn't stop my great uncle for marrying in one. To non-party members church was not out of bounds, although many Orthodox churches were shut down, and after the fall of Yugoslavia re-opened like so many in the neighbouring towns, but in my town where there are only a Lutheran and a Catholic church no such thing happened. In two neighbouring villages with a Slovak majority there are two churches is both villages, one Lutheran and one Orthodox. Both Orthodox churches show signs of decay as no one took care of them for decades and today funds are scarce, at least for the Orthodox.
Protestants and Catholics were not discouraged to attend service or have weddings in the church nor was our clergy prosecuted or anything. I don't know about Macedonia but in Vojvodina Orthodoxy was frowned upon.

[Soldier of Macedon]

I don't believe Orthodoxy was frowned upon in Macedonia, Srbomani and Commies were against it, and this resulted in fear from many peasants. However, Orthodoxy is the main religion in Macedonia as it always has been, and therefore a fundamental part of the culture, directly and indirectly influencing it. Vojvodina differs in that it has strong representation in more than one rite of Christianity.

[Soldier of Macedon]

I was quite astounded to see a DVD of my brother's brother-in-law's wedding last night. A handful of people attended the church ceremony, then about 1000 attended the reception.

How ridiculous. I said "Is this a communism leftover or what?"

I think I offended my sister-in-law.

You make a good point.

[Bratot]

Pretty biased conclusion about the wedding customs.

On the church ceremony in Macedonia ppl bring only limited number of very close family and friends.

But at the reception, in the kafana, you invite all the family and friends you know, some of the family you met only once in life and the most of them you will see for the first time and prob. never again since they are some far relatives.

[Risto the Great]

Pretty biased conclusion about the wedding customs.

I know, I know. Bad wasn't it.
But this does not happen in Egej or any other Macedonian Diaspora that I know of. Seriously, it is quite weird to see 20 people at the church and 1000 at the reception.

[Soldier of Macedon]

A handful is what? 5 people? 10? 15? If I invite the families of just my two auntie's (dad's sisters) alone it would be more than that. Nobody is expecting 1000's of people to come to church, especially the one's you'll never see again.

I agree with Risto, not enough people come to these ceremonies, even from the closer family, more should.

[BigMak]

Hi all, I thought this custom was normal in Macedonia, certainly not for the diaspora though

[Bratot]

My cousin for ex. invited only his parents and the parents of his future wife to attend on the church ceremony in St. Pantelejmon church.

Also a pretty small reception, for closer family and friends.

This should be observed pretty individualy.

[Jankovska]

I had around 30 people in church and 200 at my wedding. Firstly churches are not like restaurants, there is not enough room. Secondly I hated the fact that there were so many crying babies in the church at my wedding, looking at the video now it drives me mad coz you can't hear anything because od the baby. Another thing is Macedonians hardly ever go to church to actually listen to the ceremony, they go on pazar, talking an chating away so it's hard to deal with 20 people, I can't even imagine 200. Closest family is the way forward.

[Risto the Great]

Interesting.
Very odd custom though.
Please correct me if I am wrong on this one .... is there much fanfare at the registry office when you legally marry? I am under the impression this receives about as much attention as the church ceremony.

[Delodephius]

I thought weddings very pretty much the same throughout Balkans. Over here no matter if Serbian or Slovak wedding everyone is both at the reception and at the church.