“Every year with centuries, in a small city in the most southern part of Macedonia, there is a Carnival. The Strumica carnival has a long tradition with centuries. During the Middle Ages it was mentioned by the traveler Evlija Chelebija in 1670. The word Carnival is derived from from the Latin c a r n e – meat and v a l i – goodbye, meaning ”goodbye meat”, which associates the beginning of the fast, in this case the Lenten Fast.”
Trimeri is a very old Christian custom which was practiced a long time ago, from the beginning of Christianity. The name derives from the Greek words ”tris meres”, which means ”three days” according to the length of the beginning of the Lent. Trimeri is a movable feast and it starts after the Day of Forgiveness (Prochka), the first Sunday of Eastern Lent. The Day of Forgiveness according to the Orthodox Church is a feast which precedes the Honorable Fast Season (Great Lent), the greatest fasting period which prepares all Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Easter. Also in Macedonia there is another carnival for the Day of Forgiveness (Prochka) in a city of Prilep.
The Strumica carnival is an international event and since 1995 has been included in the family of carnival cities, i.e. the Federation of European Carnival Cities.
