Each year, the Macedonian village of Vevcani marks the Orthodox St. Vasilij Day -- the beginning of the old Julian calendar -- with a 1,400-year-old carnival rooted in pre-Christian traditions. Performers revel in the streets wearing masks that reflect pagan rituals, religious issues, or political satires of current events. Below are some images of the costumes and parades in Vevcani over the past few years.
The Carnival of Vevcani
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A reveler applies a mask before parading the streets during a carnival in the village of Vevcani, some 170 km (106 miles) from the Macedonian capital of Skopje, on January 13, 2013. Vevcani village marks the Orthodox St. Vasilij Day annually with a carnival that features a 1,400-year-old celebration with pagan roots. Highlights of the carnival include a political satire where masked villagers act out current events. #
Reuters/Ognen Teofilovski -
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A reveler wearing his costume walks down the stairs during preparations for a carnival marking the Orthodox St. Vasilij Day at the village of Vevcani, on January 13, 2011. #
Reuters/Ognen Teofilovski -
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