Holidays in Slovenia
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There are two kinds of holidays in Slovenia - national holidays and work-free days. National holidays are those celebrated by the state - this includes official functions and flying of the national flag. The latter are actually Catholic religious holidays (Christmas, Easter and Assumption), which are equivalent to any Sunday - companies and schools stay closed, but there is no official celebration.
| Date | English Name | Slovenian Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 January | New Year | Novo leto | |
| 8 February | Prešeren's day, the Slovenian cultural holiday | Prešernov dan, slovenski kulturni praznik | anniversary of the death of Slovenian poet France Prešeren, established as the national cultural day in 1942 |
| - | Easter Sunday and Monday | Velika noč in velikonočni ponedeljek | work-free day, date varies |
| 27 April | Day of Uprising Against Occupation | Dan upora proti okupatorju | Formerly Liberation Front Day (Dan Osvobodilne fronte), marks the establishment, in 1941, of the Liberation Front to fight the German, Italian and Hungarian occupation of Slovenia |
| 1 and 2 May | Labour Day | Praznik dela | |
| - | Pentecostal Sunday | Binkoštna nedelja | work-free day, date varies |
| 25 June | Statehood Day | Dan državnosti | Commemorates the proclamation of independence in 1991 |
| 15 August | Assumption Day | Marijino vnebovzetje (veliki šmaren) | work-free day |
| 31 October | Reformation Day | Dan reformacije | work-free day |
| 1 November | Remembrance Day | Dan spomina na mrtve | Formerly called The Day of the Dead (Dan mrtvih) |
| 25 December | Christmas | Božič | work-free day |
| 26 December | Independence Day | Dan neodvisnosti | Commemorates the proclamation of the independence plebiscite results in 1990 |
In addition to these, several other holidays are traditionally and popularly celebrated by the people of Slovenia. The most well known are:
- Mardis Gras (pust, date varies),
- St. George's Day (jurjevanje, the welcoming of spring; 23 April),
- St. Martin's day (martinovanje, changing of must into wine; 11 November) and
- Saint Nicholas Day (miklavž, when children get presents; 6 December).
The former Yugoslav Day of the Youth - Dan mladosti on 25 May is also widely celebrated by young people.