The traditional Vevcani Carnival, which celebrates the New Year arrival under the old calendar, will once again present its richness in ideas and colours on January 13-14.

Ahead of the main event, an improvised fair of alternative tourism was organised on Wednesday, followed by performances of local pop musicians, plus the main guest - one of ex-Yugoslavia stars, Momcilo Bajagic - Bajaga.

With a history of more than 1400 years the carnival is a fascinating blend of pagan and contemporary traditions. Its main characteristics are the archaic, the mysterious and the art of improvisation.

The carnival takes place in the village of Vevcani, which for its duration is magically transformed into a theatre in its own right, free of borders, where every house and every street is a stage for those behind the masks to perform their roles and play their games as true actors.

There are three traditional masks: the bride and bridegroom and August the fool, each accompanied by musicians. The other masks are worn by carnival groups, large and small, who with their costumes, gestures and movements often mock and mimic events and personalities from the municipality's everyday life.

According to MP Liljana Popovska, chairperson of the Carnival Organization Board, the Vevcani Carnival, as a tourist attraction, is rather significant for Macedonia's economy, as over 60,000 people visit the village for the carnival.

In 1993, the Vevcani Carnival, or more precisely, the municipality of Vevcani, joined FECC - the Federation of European Carnival Cities.

The manifestation is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and T-Home.