The world is a magical place, full of wonders that we get to experience. People travel with the purpose of finding a place that truly feels enchanting. We thrive on meeting new people, looking at new cultures, and be a part of what truly makes humanity special. I am born and raised in Macedonia, a small country in Europe that I consider my home. Living in the capital city of Skopje, I experienced the magical landscape of the modern city and the Macedonian way of life. But while the city was modern and grew more advanced each day, the traditions in food, culture, clothing, lifestyle got to stay with us forever.
The Customs and Traditions
I grew up on certain customs and traditions that made my youth full of rich memories that I get to cherish forever. I’ve lived in Colorado for six years now, but these traditions have stuck with me through my entire life so far, and I don’t think I will ever forget the wonderful culture of my country.
One of the most memorable and fun memories has to be making traditional Macedonian food in the Fall. Food in general is very important for my country, so this is something everyone participates in.
The Food
Macedonia thrives on its agriculture. Most of the land is rural and we grow crops and plants that sustain us throughout the year. Because they don’t grow in the winter time, at the fall season, Macedonian families have a tradition of making delicacy dishes that they can have throughout the winter. One of those is Ajvar. Ajvar is a pepper based condiment made from primarily red bell peppers and oil. It is simple but it takes a lot of time to cook, so entire families cook together.
“Making Ajvar will always be one of my best childhood memories. Everyone is doing it and you get to just have a lot of fun while it’s cooking. The best part is after everything is done, we get eat the leftovers while they are fresh and warm,” said my best friend who I interviewed, Ivana Krstevska.
This is just one of the memories that I will always cherish from my childhood. Macedonian people have done this for years and will continue to do it in the future. It feels good to know that each and every one of us will have this memory forever.
