Kuli

Veligdon – Easter
There is a local tradition in town to “build towers” on Easter which is unique to this city. The following story is one version of the birth of this tradition.

During the Ottoman empire, the Turkish landlord or "Baig" of this large estate, now known as Makedonski Brod was so pleased with the work of his Macedonian peasants, that he granted them a day of freedom from work – coinciding with Veligdon. To this day, after the elaborate religious observances, the “Brodians” gather in the square and a group of sturdy men stand shoulder-to-shoulder forming a circle. Five men clamber on their shoulders and form a circle atop the first. Four such “towers” or “Kuli” were built this Monday.

To the sound of drums and the Balkan bagpipe, the towers slowly moved up the road to the next open space, where after disbanding were soon joined by the whole crowd in the traditional ora (dance). The energy is high and by this time all the residents, who had gone to their villages earlier in the day to celebrate easter service at their respective village church were also back. In addition, gauging from the fact that there was not a place to sit in any of the coffee shops in town, many people came from the all over Macedonia to witness this unique celebration.