The Celebration of Love No One Knows About: Embrace Tradition on St. Gregory’s Day in Slovenia

In Slovenia, as the only country with “love” in its name, it makes sense that celebrations of love aren’t just reserved for Valentine’s Day. The arrival of St. Gregory’s Day on 12th March  marks a time of magic, romance, and the promise of spring. Find out below  why this  centuries-old tradition  is still a poignant celebration to this day.

Oral folk tradition claims that on St. Gregory’s Day, the birds are joined in wedlock. On this day, it was custom for maidens to look to the sky, where the fluttering wings of the first bird they’d see would prophesise the type of husband they would eventually meet. The 12th March also symbolises the end of the cold and the first signs of spring, with the days growing longer and the early morning and evening darkness retreating.

On the eve of St. Gregory’s Day, the iron-foundry pool in Kropa, the serene waters of the Lipnica Stream in Kamna Gorica and the Tržič Bistrica come alive with model houses and other objects adorned with flickering candles, known as “gregorčki”. The holiday is particularly special for children who create the gregorček, with each of them carrying the essence of spring.

The use of candles is a symbolic gesture that represents the lengthening of the days between March and September, with St. Gregory “tossing the lamp into the water” – or in present day celebrations, floating candles on the water – as the need for artificial light is no longer necessary. St. Gregory’s Day used to hold particular significance for Slovenian towns with long-time artisan traditions, such as Kropa, Kamna Gorica, Železniki (blacksmithing, nail making and iron smelting) and Tržič (shoemaking) where light was needed to complete their craft.

The celebration represents Slovenian folklore, where craftsmanship and community intertwine, and love is shown to conquer all – even the darkness! Set featured image