Welcoming Spring in Slovenia: Gregorjevo and Gregorčki in Ljubljana
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August 8, 2025Welcoming Spring in Slovenia: Gregorjevo and Gregorčki in Ljubljana
In addition to Valentine's Day, Slovenians also celebrate their very own holiday of love – Gregorjevo, the feast day of St. Gregory. Celebrated on March 12, this day is known as the time when "birds get married" and has deep roots in local tradition, symbolizing both the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
The tradition of launching "gregorčki" – small handmade boats or structures with candles – has evolved into a charming cultural event that still carries the spirit of the past. Though the custom has pre-Christian origins, it is widely recognized today as a celebration of the coming of spring – it was once marked on the first official day of spring according to the old calendar. The tradition we now refer to, dates back to the 15th or 16th century, when craftsmen – especially shoemakers and blacksmiths in the Gorenjska region – would symbolically "throw light into the water." They floated lit candles down rivers to mark the end of the dark winter season, when longer daylight hours meant they no longer needed to work by candlelight. (Wikipedia)
While the practice was first documented in Slovenian sources from the 19th and early 20th centuries, the custom of floating lights on water is believed to be even older. Today, this tradition lives on in regions such as Tržič and Ljubljana, where children take part in the celebration by launching their own candle-lit boats down the Ljubljanica River. You can witness this charming tradition each year on March 11 on Eipprova Street in Ljubljana.
