THE WEDDING OF GALICNIK - MACEDONIAN TRADITION WITH WORLDWIDE PRESENTATION ON YOUTUBE

Abstract

Galicnik is a mountain village located in the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostuše and one of the oldest ones in this region “Lower Reka” (“Mijačija”). It is distinguished by its beautiful natural landscapes, authentic architecture and rich cultural heritage. A recognizable mark of the folklore in Galicnik is the wedding ceremony, which took place in the summer, usually during the village's celebration of St. Peter's Day in July. At this central annual event, the people welcomed their migrant workers and newlyweds got married. At one time, there were up to 50 weddings in one day, which contained several unique customs specific to this ethnographic region. Since 1963, due to the emigration of the village, the wedding ceremony has grown into a cultural and touristic manifestation, in order to maintain the tradition and attract thousands of domestic and foreign guests to this event. The wedding is supported by the president of the country and several sponsors, but this fusion of tradition and tourism is also sustainable through its media representation. This paper will focus on the Internet, which is a modern and most used medium that offers unlimited and massive promotion of materials to millions of worldwide users. The Galicnik wedding on the Internet is represented through many published articles, but the video recordings will be the subject of interest in this research. On the most popular Internet platform YouTube were registered more than 200 videos from this tradition, with various content and different time periods and all of them will be presented through a detailed analysis. On this way will be pointed out the function of YouTube as a promoter and educator of the Macedonian cultural heritage, which is of great importance in today's society when people massively rely on digital technologies.