Saint Gregory’s Day, also known as Gregorjevo, is the Slovene Valentine’s Day that is celebrated on March 12 every year. Instead of having Saint Valentine’s Day, Slovenia, along with a few more European countries, celebrate St. Gregory’s Day to cherish love and bond with others.
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Saint Gregory’s Day in Slovenia- The Day of Love
March marks the arrival of the Spring season. In this season, birds find and wedlock their mates. Slovene citizens declared Saint Gregory’s Day, which is celebrated on March 12th, as the Day of Love on account of this natural mating season.
Saint Gregory is the patron saint of schoolchildren and scholars. He became a Pope in the future and was always known for his kindness. According to the Gregorian Calendar, the first day of Spring falls on the 12th day of March in the solar calendar, and thus, the day is celebrated on this date every year.
How Do Slovenia Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Unlike the majority of the population, who celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, Slovenia celebrates St. Gregory’s Day with the same intention. People provide baked goods to fowls by placing the food on trees and parks.
As the day was highly popular among artisans, on St Gregory’s Day Eve, they would light up the water. They would launch a tiny house, boat, or wicker basket carrying a lit candle as a symbolic gesture for the days would be longer now and so, artisans no longer had to work under artificial light.
Today, children build gregorčki, that is, miniature boats and houses, for the lights and send them downstream.
Traditionally, girls would look up at the sky, and the first bird they spot would tell them of the kind of husband they’ll get.
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