Slovenian Valentine’s day or Gregorjevo!

On Gregorjevo or Slovenian Valentine’s Day, on 12nd March to be exact, the birds are getting married according to the Slovenian folk tradition. That used to be the first day of the spring. Gregory is known as a person who brings light. He welcomes the sunlight. Slovenian Valentine’s day – a period when the first buds swell, the days are getting longer and the spring is in the air – is related to many traditional beliefs. One of them says that the first bird seen by a young girl announces what will girl’s husband be like. Another one says that St. Gregory brings light and on this day “light is thrown into the water .” In this way water carries away all bad things, winter, concerns and cold. On the eve before Gregorjevo craftsmen used to swing flaming torches, made of the old brooms soaked in resin, and also burned resin chips in the baskets and pushed them into the water to wash away unpleasant work under a bad light. Tradition of launching “gregorčki” (once these were the torches, but today they represent true floating artwork) into the rivers and streams is well preserved in places with a long artisan tradition (Tržič – shoe-making, Kropa – blacksmiths and manufacturing of nails, Železniki – iron making).

Throw the light (“gregorček” – little boat) into the water and … welcome spring! There are many events going on on Gregorjevo. Also in Ljubljana on Gradaščica small river.