Abstract:

This paper examines the transformation of wedding rituals in the village of Žirovnica, Dolna Reka, North Macedonia, from the 1960s to the present. Drawing on published ethnography, oral testimony, participant observation, audiovisual sources, and online community platforms, it documents patterns of continuity and change across three generations. The analysis reveals that the ritual’s underlying social logic – managing the transition of the bride and the alliance between families – remains stable, while its material, temporal, and expressive dimensions adapt to changing economic and social conditions. Labour migration to Western Europe, economic transformation, and the transnationalisation of community life have compressed the wedding calendar, modified material culture, shortened communal dancing, introduced ritual innovations, and reshaped the relationship between homeland and diaspora.