The document discusses the traditions and culture of the city of Shtip, Macedonia. It describes how the city has a long history of cherishing traditions that date back to pagan times and have been influenced by various cultural groups over centuries. Some key traditions mentioned include costumes, crafts, dances, songs, culinary specialties, and an annual festival dedicated to preparing and eating pastrmajlija, a traditional meat-filled bread. The document emphasizes that traditions are an important part of transmitting cultural values in the city.

1. Like a city with long and rich history,Stip kept special relationship to
the tradition,rituals or events, independent in what period of time
they began.Some of them come from the pagan times, some of them
have religious character, but some are due to the cultural growth of
the city.The bigger part of them have long since exceeded the local
sound and common attract the attention of tourists from the country
and abroad. In every one of them reveals the genius creator
nardonit: with big love created costumes, crafts, dances, songs,
culinary specialties.
OWER CITY IS THE HEART OF EAST MACEDONIA WHERE THE
TRADITIONS WERE ALWAYS CHERISHED.HE IS A CITY WITH A RICH
HISTORY.The costumes in ower city have long time tradition.They are
a part of the material history and they are an important branch of
folk art.Created as a collective benefit of the whole Macedonian
nation, they in a long series of years are passed on from generation
to generation in the way of development in itself fit many elements
from various cultural influences that have crossed this part of the
Balkans.The oldest cultural layer – the old balkanian, as well as
the traditions of the ancient Greek civilization were followed by
the culture of the Slavs who inhabited this part of the Balkan
Peninsula from the fifth to the seventh century, in a strong
outpour. The further cultural flow was influenced by the
Byzantine civilization, as well as a strong outpour of Turkish-
eastern elements, up to the latest trends from the west. Upper
white robes, richly decorated with cord applications (black, red,
silver), decorations with a silver tersian embroidery, felt
applications, woolen notches etc. The Macedonian national
costumes are characterized by: -white linen shirts (made up of
flax, hemp, cotton), in the style of the central balkanian shirts,
richly decorated with a specific polychromatic decoration with
geometrical patterns or white embroidery - woven, knitted and

2. variably decorated belts (male and female) -female aprons
(rarely male), who come in different shapes and sizes (large
and small), with a specific geometric ornamental decoration,
complemented by various crisps -rich and massive female
jewelry decorated in various forms Our region is rich with a
wide range of folk instruments which are used for playing folk
songs throughout the centuries. The bagpipe, the kaval, the
supelka, the duduk, the oboe, the two reeded kaval, the
different types of tanbur, the drum and the tambourine are
considered as our region‟s traditional instruments. With small
variations, the clarinet, the fiddle, the oud, the flute, the canon,
the darbuka and the tambourine are considered as oriental
instruments and usually are an integral part of oriental styled
ensembles called - Čalgija. Traditional instruments can be used
in different combinations: -the oboe/the drum are played at
weddings and other celebrations where folk music is mostly
played -the bagpipes are a fundamental part of the Macedonian
musical culture, especially in the villages. It is usually played
with a pair of kavals, the tanbur and some musical instruments
of the percussion group (the drum/the tambourine/the darbuka).
-the darbuk is also considered as a traditional instrument, even
though it was introduced to the Macedonians, by the Turkish, in
the XV(fifteenth) and XVI(sixteenth) century.Special emphasis
in our town is put on our tradition. Trough it are transmitting the
cultural values
of our people. The thermal bath of Kezhovica is located 2 km
southwest from the city of Shtip
adjacent to the Novo Selo. It has been known since the time of
Turkish governance in Macedonia and for the same reason like
today, it was used like healing thermal bath. In the bath of
Kezhovica, the thermal water doesn‟t overflow directly on the
surface but it is used trough wells. Only in the locality of Ldzi in

3. Novo Selo near the river of Bregalnica is located a source of
thermal water which is captured and used by the local
population. For many years until today it is a place where the
women are washing clothes with healing thermal water. The
holiday Cetrse(???„???) is a celebration of martyrs, held on
March 22 in honor of the martyrs from the 4th century and it
marks at the same time the day of spring. The participants
gather on the streets of Shtip and climb the hill of Isar and on
their way to the hill, they stop at the church to give a respect to
the martyrs. According to the custom, the participants have to
greet 40 people which they already knew, to collect 40 stones
and 40 flowers or branches of almond. On top of the Isar
participants throw 39 stones in the river of Bregalnica and the
last one they put under the pillow before going to bed. In our
city every year is organizing
“Pastramalijada‟‟(“??????????????”), traditional event when it
is preparing the delicious traditional food- pastrmajlija
(????????????). This manifestation is visited by many
domestic and foreign visitors. Our nation is a gourmet nation
who knows how to enjoy in the beautiful traditional food like
tavce grafce, stuffed grape leaves, ajvar, pindzur and many
others. We‟ll share the recipe for the most delicious
pastrmajlija: Ingredients 1 kg. flour, 30 grams yeast, 6 eggs,800
grams pork, salt, fat. Knead the yeast with a little warm water to
high. Knead the flour with warm water and a little salt, put the
high yeast and knead the dough well to be soft. Leave it to
high. When it will get high, knead the dough again and divide it
in 8 balls. You need to slap the balls one by one with your
hands and make sure the edges remean thick and thin. Shred
the meat in small cubes, salt it and poke it in the dough. With
the meat put 1 teaspoon fat and put the dough in the oven to
bake. When it is half-baked remove it from the oven and break
one egg on it. Put it again in the oven to bake it. When it will be

4. fully baked, role it with aluminum foil. Serve the pastrmajlija
with yogurt. Cheers!!!!