Gregorjevo is a Slavic version of the Valentine's Day, which is linked to an old folk custom announcing that birds are getting married and spring is coming.
"Pozdrav pomladi - Gregorčki" is a free event commemorating an old folk tradition, where craftsmen bid farewell to winter by releasing wooden clogs adorned with lit candles into streams, symbolically welcoming spring and the longer days ahead.
According to the old Julian calendar, spring begins on the feast day of Saint Gregory, on March 12th. On the eve of St. Gregory's Day, March 11th, children along the Gradaščica River traditionally release variously shaped little boats with candles, known as "barčice svetega Gregorja" or "Gregorčki."
St. Gregory's Day is also known as a day for lovers, as folk tradition suggests that "the birds get married" on this day. Additionally, the event aims to revive the cultural image of the old city center, as the event takes place along the banks of the Gradaščica River and the Trnovski Bridge, which are part of the architectural legacy of Jože Plečnik.
Today, Gregorjevo brings great joy to children and enriches the cultural and touristic offerings of Ljubljana with its ethnographic characteristics. The event, organized by the Old Ljubljana Cultural Society with the support of Tourism Ljubljana, attracts more than 2000 children and parents every year.
Special attention is given to fostering children's creativity and environmental conservation in the design of the event. The aim is to make Gregorčki from biodegradable and ecological waste materials. Therefore, the organizers host art workshops where museum curators, art and technical education teachers, kindergarten educators, and art students educate children and assist them in making the little boats. These workshops take place in numerous schools and kindergartens, as well as at the Ethnographic Museum and the Botanical Garden in Ljubljana, and also during the event itself.
Some workshops and activities during the event also focus on raising environmental awareness among participants: before the event, there is a cleanup of the banks of the Gradaščica River, and after the event, organizers collect the floating boats before they reach the Ljubljanica River and dispose of them properly.
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