Language
The language of FYROM is a South Slavic language divided into western
and eastern dialects. The FYROM literary language is based on the central
dialects of Veles, Prilep and Bitola. FYROM shares all the characteristics
that separate Bulgarian from the other Slavic languages, evidence that
it's closely related to Bulgarian. The Cyrillic alphabet, predominant in
FYROM, is based on the alphabet developed by two Thessaloniki brothers, St
Cyril and St Methodius, in the 9th century. It was taught by their
disciples at a monastery in Ohrid, from whence it spread across the
eastern Slavic world. Street names are printed in Cyrillic script only;
road signs use both Cyrillic and Latin scripts.
Music
In FYROM folk music, the drone of the gajda (bagpipes) and chords of
the tambura (two-stringed lute) provide a background for the kaval (flute)
and tapan (a huge cylindrical drum). The most famous and popular folk
dance is called Teskoto (The Hard One). It is a male dance for which music
is provided by the tapan and the zurla (large pipes). It starts very
slowly and gets progressively faster. This dance symbolises the national
awakening of the FYROM people and is performed with dancers dressed in
their traditional costumes.
Food
Turkish-style grilled mincemeat is available almost everywhere, and
there are self-service cafeterias in most towns for the less adventurous.
Balkan burek (cheese or meat pie) and yoghurt make for a cheap breakfast.
Watch for gravce na tavce (beans in a skillet) and Ohrid trout.
National Anthem
To listen the national anthem click
here.
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