First of May in Macedonia

The first of May, (1ви Мај) is a big day here in Macedonia. It is the Macedonian version of Labor Day and is celebrated pretty much exactly as Labor Day is celebrated in the US. Most people don't have to work, there is no school, and just about everyone spends the day outside- walking, grilling, having a picnic, listening to music, etc. It is a day for relaxing. For weeks people had been asking me what I was going to do for the 1st of May and where I would be. After considering several invitations, I decided I wanted to spend the day at home with some of my neighbours and it was a great choice. I ended up going on four different na gostis, ate lots of good food, and took lots of pictures with my neighbour girls (side note: if you ever need a way to befriend Macedonian teenage girls, bring your camera and let them take pictures and take pictures with you- they gain instant popularity by having pictures with you on Facebook!). Here are some of the photos from the day. The girl in the black dress is my neighbour Simona and the other girl, in the shirt with dots is her sister Marija.