This doesn’t sound all that different than an article you might read in the US. The only difference is that Macedonia has a 35% unemployment rate and poverty is huge. Families use the motto "You only live once" to rationalize the huge expense and potential debt for years. They actually get bank loans to throw the parties. I think that most of these parties are weddings (like the article discusses) but does that make it okay? One family said that if they don’t spend the money on the wedding, people will visit them all year long to congratulate them, which could end up costing more than the wedding. I’m struggling to believe that, although I don’t know much about the Macedonian culture. Anyway, it’s very much worth the read:
BusinessWeek Article on Macedonian Parties