New Year

Slovenian "snow maidens" in between dancingAs elsewhere in Europe, the New Year in Slovenia begins to be celebrated on the evening of December 31 with noisy festivities and fireworks.

However, there are national features: during the celebration of the New Year, 12 different items are put in a bag: a pine branch (happiness), a coin (wealth), a ring (wedding), a doll (replenishment of the family), a cross (death), a ribbon (distance road) and other small items. Each guest pulls an object from the bag three times. If the same thing happens three times, it means that the corresponding event should occur in the new year.

On New Year’s Eve, Slovenians eat baked pork and drink dry red wine or slivovica.

According to the law on holidays and non-working days, January 2 is also a public holiday.