Ancient traditions kept alive in North Macedonia's wedding festival

In the remote mountain village of Galichnik, North Macedonia, the best man fires the starting gun on a wedding like no other.

The Petrovden—or St Peter’s Day—wedding happens every July in the village, with scores of wedding goers in traditional costume putting on a dazzling show.

This year Martina and Aleksandar are tying the know. The couple are carrying on North Macedonian wedding traditions, just like Aleksandars' parents did on their wedding day in 1991. 

The day’s ceremony starts with a shave. The groom, ringed by chanting onlookers in crimson and gold, sits back as his best man glides a straight razor across his jaw. Whether to symbolise separation from his family or to spare a jittery groom from a cut, the practice of the best man shaving the groom is just one of a host of traditions, wrapped up in layers of meaning, that make a Macedonian marriage.

The bride arrives on horseback, surrounded by villagers in full costume and with traditional folk music filling the valley. 

While it draws on deeply rooted traditions, the annual wedding festival was devised only in the mid-20th century as a way to unite a community rapidly growing apart as families and young people moved out. Today, the tradition draws Macedonians and tourists alike. Sofi, a visitor from Argentina said it was fun to participate in the wedding in such a welcoming atmosphere. 

With the ceremony done, the dancing begins. First the women, dressed in brightly coloured sequined dresses, perform the Bride's Dance. Then, the men, dressed in wool trousers and caps despite the July heat, perform the Teskoto, or Hard Dance, a name reflecting its difficulty but also to symbolising the hardship families faced as people left the village to provide for their loved ones.

Camera: Ognien Teofilovski, Editing and Production: Branko Filipovic, Production: Laura Urraca-Makuch/Reuters