Galichnik (Macedonian: Galichnik) is a mountain village on the slopes of Mount Bistra in North Macedonia, 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Mavrovo. The village is famous for its architecture and the traditional wedding festival of the same name, which takes place every year in July. Traditionally weddings were held once a year and the celebration lasted for five days with the last day being the feast of St. Peter on July 12. In the past, only on certain days of the year could couples in the village get married, and there were even 30 weddings in the same five-day period.
Today, there is only one wedding in the framework of the organized festival “Galician Summer”, which takes place only for two days, the weekend before July 12. The couple who marries at this festival is chosen by lottery. During the festival period, the village becomes a tourist attraction.
The wedding begins with the welcome of the relatives, while the mother-in-law holds a loaf of bread and a jug of water and begins to dance the “mother-in-law’s dance”. The groom is then shaved, which symbolizes the end of bachelorhood, and on the wedding day the guests visit the bride on horseback. In the central square of the village, the men dance the ‘Teskoto’ dance, which represents the suffering of the people of Galichnik through the centuries.
