Reportage: The Vevchani Carnival   Mocking Day , but a development wheel, too    Every year the Carnival in Vevchani is a new experience, so many people regularly and faithfully visit this manifestation, becoming part of the pagan atmosphere of chasing the bad spirits floating around us and inside us. The carnival in Vevchani attracts more and more guests and besides the Macedonian citizens, it also attracts foreign visitors who stay in our country and there are also guests coming from Greece, Bulgaria and sometimes even further... Marijana Ivanova   They say - never go to the first rows when the procession from Gorna and Dolna Maala are passing at the carnival in Vevcani - since anything can happen to you. They can spill water at you, beat you with a horsehair lash and similar mockeries. This year, those who wanted to observe the masks from the first rows, were sprayed with plaster and mud which the builders group, one of the group masks, was throwing to the audience with shovels and mixers. There was screaming and shouting, but no angry faces. Everyone knows it is a carnival when everything is allowed. I listened to the advice and watched the show from the side. That 13 January the weather was extremely cold, minus 8 degrees Celsius probably, but nobody seemed to notice that. All the visitors that came to see the famous carnival that day had their temperatures raised from the general excitement. Well, there was some wine and hot brandy, as well.   Chasing the evil spirits   This year's carnival in Vevchani was completely unique and special, as well as many others that took place in the past eleven traditional years. The same masks never repeat, there are always different devils, vampires, various creatures, vamp-ladies (man, actually), strange animals, political and popular masks...Every year the carnival in Vevchani is an experience, so many people regularly and faithfully visit this manifestation, becoming part of the pagan atmosphere of chasing the evil spirits floating around us and inside us. Thus, everyone becomes part of the event, screaming, dancing, and singing. Lile, Atanas, Toshe, the mayor Vasil Radinoski (who, by the ay celebrated his name-day) - our hosts, tried to explain all that confusion and that moving gallery of fantasy to us. The thing that repeats every time, as we understood, is the bride (man, again) and the bridegroom, who, led by the other "Vasilicars" have to go round every house and the bride has to kiss the hand of anyone she meets and that person should, of course, give "her" some money. This custom in Vevchani is a way of collecting money for the humanitarian fund. During the carnival in Vevchani, every house is open for everyone. Nevertheless, most of the time is spent in the streets. People walk under masks throughout the place, scaring the passers-by, there are endless jokes, people swear but no one gets mad or insulted. People free themselves from the tensions and pressures of the everyday life, thus releasing the bad form themselves. And that is the very idea - to free us from anything bad, throw it away and enter the New Year clean and purified. The New Year is usually waited at the Vevchani springs. For the citizens of Vevchani it starts on 14 January and that should be accepted by their guests as well. We accepted it too and it was one of the best places that I have ever been to for the celebration of New Year. New, or Old-New as we call it, it does not matter. We wished each-other all the best and it was like in a fairy tail: by the springs, under the sky full of stars, on the ground that shone like a pearl from the ice, in the fog that raised from the water, surrounded by the rich vegetation and the mystic of this place, while somewhere in the distance the drums were beating and the zurlas were playing...   Development plans   The carnival continues the next day with the traditional customs - a special kind of bread "kashanik" with a coin inside is baked and then you visit all people whose name is Vasil. The singing and dancing continues in the streets, you can still see the masks, the coming of the New Year, as well as leaving of the evil and coming of the good spirits" is celebrated the whole day. These two mocking days are more than just mocking for Vevchani. What is most important is that those are days that bring closer the community, connect and reconcile the citizens. The other positive effects are the creation of positive energy, soul and mind catharsis, cherishing the tradition... The carnival in Vevchani is becoming a wheel of development. It attracts more and more visitors and besides the Macedonian citizens, it also attracts foreign visitors who stay in our country and there are also guests coming from Greece, Bulgaria and sometimes even from further. Anyone who has been to Vevchani once, wishes to come and see the Vevchani springs in the summer again (they are arranged, a fence and bridges are placed and lighted in the evenings- with a financial help from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning), to try the Vevchani food specialties at the restaurant "Via Ignatia" which has a wonderful garden, and also at the new restaurant "Host House", which has a great cuisine and warm, authentic atmosphere. Soon, visitors can spend the night at Vevchani - there are plans for building a small hotel that will be another reason to keep the guests that come for the carnival - they will not have to leave the first day or spend the night in some of the hotels in Struga (which, by the way were not heated this year), but they could spend the night in the magical atmosphere of Vevchani and be awakened the next morning by the “Vasilica” drums. What Vevchani misses might be some tourist elements, like souvenirs, organized excursions, private accommodation. However, there are plans at the municipality for the development of tourism, which is based on the traditional and natural heritage. The most important thing is that Vevchans have their Carnival!   Vevchani in the network of Carnival cities   -In 1993 Vevchani became a member of FECC - Federation of European Carnival Cities. The most important moment for the enrollment was Mr. Henry Ferdinand's, the FECC President visit. He saw the Carnival and was absolutely fascinated. Vevchani was entitled the FECC headquarters for Macedonia - said the Mayor of Vevchani, Mr. Vasil Radinski, who also showed us the unusual hat that the FECC "officials", as well as he, proudly wear at all events related to the Carnival.   Vevchani - a living museum   In the events concerning the popularization of the Carnival and putting it in the function of the local development, a great support is received from the national and foreign foundations. The project called "Vevchani - a living museum" is implemented in Vevchani, which is part of the "Living Heritage" project. As it can be seen from the name of this programme, its goal is to help the local cultural heritage to use it as an impulse for the communities' development. The "Living Heritage" programme in Macedonia is implemented by the Belgian Foundation King Boduen and the Open Society Institute Macedonia Foundation. The project "Vevchani - a living museum" has a goal to popularize the cultural and the natural heritage: the Carnival, the customs, the Vevchani springs and the other elements of this type of heritage, through organizing photo-exhibitions on the Carnival in Vevchani, the renewal and presentation of folk dances and customs, arranging the springs surrounding and publishing a guide for the sanctuaries around Vevchani. The Carnival and its popularization were also supported by the CIC through financing a publication and a CD called "The Vevchani Carnival". The exhibition of photographs and the promotion of this publication and the CD, marked this years Carnival beginning and were greeted by the Minister of Culture, Mr. Blagoja Stefanovski, who talked about the importance of the Vevchani Carnival as one of the most important and attractive cultural manifestations in Macedonia.