Reportage

Zvegor Surva, Black faces, bright hearts

On 14 January in Zvegor, everybody had dark, smiling and joyful faces. Dark on your face symbolizes happiness, it chases the evil spirits, it also means health and wealth in the upcoming year. Even the drivers of the big trucks, the tourists with skis on top of their cars and all the others who had to go through Zvegor in order to reach Bulgaria or go back in Macedonia were stopped, their faces were made dark, and they had to pay “tax” to the Zvegor “surovarskars”. Some of the village “beauties” (which were, in fact, men, dresses as women) have even tried to enter the truck cabins and pass the wish for a happy new summer to the truck drivers with a kiss!

Zvegor Surva is a real party, not only for the inhabitants of this village near Delcevo, but for all the other who pass it or stay there every year on 14 January - the day dedicated to St Vasilij the Great. We were made believe in the magic of this day. We joined the mass joy easily and we enjoyed watching the groom and the bride, the bear and its owner, the “belaks”, the tax collector, the priest and the other masks.

Zvegor Surva is one of the carnival traditions that take place at Vasilica and mark the celebration of the “old” New Year. This carnival differs from the others in many respects – first of all, it is celebrated in daytime. Namely, the Zvegor Surva is a wedding celebration – every rule is followed for such an act – there is a bride (a travestied man, since there are no women in the surva), a bridegroom, a priest, wedding guests, music…We followed the wedding suite which had to visit every house in the village, starting early in the morning. The bride was looked gloom under the thick bride’s veil – nobody knew until the last moment that had assumed that role. Those who were too curious were trying to uncover “her”, but her beloved and the “belaks” (who were wearing clothes) were watching her attentively, chasing the bullies in a not so gentle manner with their wooden swords. We were fascinated by the wonderfully made masks which are a hundred percent hand-made from domestic materials: the women beggars, the bear and its tamer, one big female monkey, the baby with a dummy and nappies whose knees stuck out from the old pram, his masculine mama who could not walk straight in her high heeled shoes …

Goce Janevski, our connection with the reality in this world of fairy tales was hidden under his priest clothes and the white beard as he was fuming with red pepper which made people cough and brought tears to their eyes. After the greeting and the charring of our cheeks we headed for the village where the events were culminating. After the general fight with the wooden swords and the oak sticks, the bride was finally disclosed. The other masks were disclosed as well which caused a great laughter and the villagers started preparing for the mutual celebration when they say the last farewell to the old year, with wishes and hopes for harvest and health in the new year. Everything that was collected from the houses (money, food, drink) is now used for the village celebration at the Cultural Centre. The villagers prepare the authentic specialties (pie with pork guts), they buy drinks and the celebration goes on until late night. They celebrate their beautiful custom, which they have cherished and preserved for centuries like they had originally taken it from their ancestors. Untouched by the modern influences – without any bought plastic masks and with a very deep folk symbolism.

This year, they wished to share the Surva with other people. Several days before Vasilica, a group of surovaskars came to Skopje and prepared an unusual sight and enjoyment to those who came to the City Square “Macedonia”. People from Skopje stopped to see them, laughed and called their friends on their mobile phones to come to the square and see what was going on. The event was followed by almost all media, the Zvegor masks could be seen at all evening news that day and the next morning they were in the papers, too. It was a very original way to present one’s traditional heritage and invite the Macedonian citizens and many interested foreigners to see and feel the Zvegor Surva in an authentic atmosphere where it is even merrier.

Marijana Ivanova