(18 Dec 2023)
KOSOVO MUSLIM CATHOLIC CELEBRATIONS
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 4:10
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vogove, Kosovo - 16 December 2023
1. Various of church and other areas in Vogove village decorated with lights
2. People walking along decorated paths
3. Pan of decorated St. Mark church
4. Various of people gathered around fires
5. Wide of crowd, bar in background offering hot drinks
6. Close of hot drinks being served
7. Visitors being served
8. Various of local band playing and singing
9. Various of crowd listening and singing along
10. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Ndue Kajtazi, Priest at St. Mark's Church:
“We are surrounded by a Christmas atmosphere. All Albanians, Christians and Muslims, are here to celebrate peace. We are all brethren, people of one big family, people of one language, one culture. We are on the brink of the Christmas festivities to celebrate Christ’s birthday. Christ is the prince of peace. During all this time, but especially at these holy moments, we pray for peace all around the world because Christ comes to bring peace among people. Our worries, like that of all the world, are the conflicts around the world like in Ukraine, Israel, in other countries, in Armenia. We pray for God to bring peace everywhere because every dead child is like killing God.”
11. Various of the St. Mark's church decorated with lights
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ylli Demaj, a Muslim resident,
“We have been working here for around 40 days. We work around 50 or 60 people. There were tough days, with rain, minus Celsius (cold) but that didn’t stop us to make this happen. We belong to (different) religions. We are Muslims and Catholics but in the end we are Albanians.”
13. Replica of nativity scene
14. Decorated area around the church
15. SOUNDBITE (Albanian) Jozefina Ukaj, Catholic resident:
“We gather in the village of Vogove and we always gather for the end-of-the year festivities. Fortunately, in our zone we have the villages of Zhub, Vogove and Brekoc of with people of both religions, Muslims and Catholics. Mainly on Saturdays, we always gather to celebrate together. I believe the atmosphere is very beautiful and you are enjoying it too.”
16. Wide of church and surrounding area decorated with lights
STORYLINE:
LEAD IN:
Hundreds of Albanians of all faiths gathered in the western village of Vogove in Kosovo to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
Muslim and Catholic faithful join together to spread festive cheer.
STORYLINE:
St Mark's church in the village of Vogove is illuminated with hundreds of sparkling Christmas lights.
Crowds gather round the fire with a hot drink to cheers to the festive season.
Live music rings out as people sing to their favourite songs.
“We are surrounded by a Christmas atmosphere. All Albanians, Christians and Muslims, are here to celebrate peace. We are all brethren, people of one big family, people of one language, one culture. We are on the brink of the Christmas festivities to celebrate Christ’s birthday. Christ is the prince of peace. During all this time, but especially at these holy moments ,we pray for peace all around the world because Christ comes to bring peace among people. Our worries, like that of all the world, are the conflicts around the world like in Ukraine, Israel, in other countries, in Armenia. We pray for God to bring peace everywhere because every dead child is like killing God,” says Father Ndue Kajtazi, the local Catholic priest.
Around 15,000 Euro ($16,340) was donated to decorate St. Mark's church and the whole area with lights.
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