Slovene traditions for the end of winter and the beginning of spring
SLOVENE
TRADITIONS FOR THE END OF WINTER AND THE BEGINNING OF SPRING
Slovene traditions for the end of winter and the
beginning of spring have been a part of Slovenia’s culture for centuries and
are still celebrated today. As spring approaches, many Slovenes take part in
the festivities to mark the end of winter and the start of a new season.
PUSTOVANJE / KURENTOVANJE
The most well-known of these traditions is the Kurentovanje festival, which takes place in the oldest Slovene town of Ptuj in the east of the country. The festival is held every year during the month of February and celebrates the end of winter and the start of spring. During the festival, people dress up in traditional costumes and masks and parade through the streets. The festival takes place for 2 weeks with many concerts and parties to banish the winter and is happening just before the lent season in front of the Easter holidays.
The most important part of the festival is the KURENT, a giant figure that represents the god of winter and his expulsion from the country.
For Pustovanje, with the same meaning as Kurentovanje but is widely celebrated throughout the country, quite similar to Halloween, young people dress up in costumes and masks and go from house to house, singing and dancing. In exchange for their performances, the people of the house give them sweets, fruit, and some coins. This custom is said to represent the renewal of life as spring begins and is marked by baking krofi / doughnuts with jam, when Slovenes compete on who is going to bake them more perfectly, which is not an easy thing to do.
GREGORJEVO
Gregorjevo is Slovene Valentine's day, celebrated on 12th March, marking the beginning of Spring when the birds start to sing and get married. It is associated with longer days, which bring more daylight. Thus, people were able to work for longer periods of time in natural light and no longer only by candles. Thus, in some artisanal and working-class areas of Gorenjska, before the Second World War, it was said that St. Gregor throws the light into the water.
Many customs are connected to the celebration of Gregojevo.
Once upon a time, it was believed that girls should look to the sky on this day, because the first bird a girl saw on that day announced what kind of husband she would get.
In the past, the children thought that on this day the birds not only get married, but also feast, so they looked for cakes in the trees and bushes. In some places, the adults eventually started hiding treats in the bushes to make them happy.
Those whose work was tied to candles, let the candles down the river or place them on the water in lakes on this day, as they were no longer needed in the following months. This custom is still alive today in some parts of Slovenia, for example at lake Bled.
These are just some of the many traditions which are celebrated in Slovenia to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring. While the festivities may differ from region to region, they all share the same purpose: to celebrate the arrival of a new season and to give thanks for the end of the long winter.
How do you
celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring in your culture
compared to Slovene traditions?
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