There are two kinds of public holidays in Slovenia –
state holiday
In the United States there are a number of observed holidays where employees receive paid time off. The labor force in the United States comprises about 62% (as of 2014) of the general population. In the United States, 97% of the private secto ...
s and work-free days. State holidays are those celebrated by the state. These include
official functions An official function is either an event, such as a convention, that has an official purpose for one's employment, vocation or profession-whether run by a person, institution or governmental agency-or an official duty.
Attending events with officia ...
and flying the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
. The latter are actually
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
religious holiday
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
s, which are equivalent to any Sunday: companies and schools are closed, but there is no official celebration.
9 of 14 state holiday days are work-free, and there are additional 6 work-free days in Slovenia.
Two of them always fall on Sunday, thus, there are effectively at most 13 work-free days in Slovenia.
State holidays that are work-free are shown in pale green, while work-free days that are not state holidays (coinciding with Catholic religious holidays) are shown in blue.
In addition to these, several other holidays are traditionally and popularly celebrated by the people of Slovenia, although not being work-free. The best known are:
*
Carnival
Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
(''pust'', date varies),
*
International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...
, 8 March
* St. George's Day (''jurjevanje'', the welcoming of spring; 23 April),
* St. Martin's Day (''martinovanje'', changing of
must
Must (from the Latin ''vinum mustum'', "young wine") is freshly crushed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. The solid portion of the must is called pomace and typically makes up 7–23% of t ...
into wine; 11 November)
*
Saint Nicholas Day
Saint Nicholas Day, also called the Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 5 December or on 6 December in Western Christian countries, and on 19 December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nic ...
(''miklavž'', when children receive presents; 6 December)
* Insurrection Day (''dan vstaje'', 22 July, work-free until 1991)
See also
*
Public holidays in Yugoslavia During the existence of Yugoslavia various public holidays were celebrated throughout or in some parts of the country. The most significant changes in the official calendar occurred in the aftermath of the World War II in Yugoslavia when the pre-war ...
References
External links
Holidays and Days off in the Republic of Slovenia Act Retrieved 14 May 2012.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Holidays in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
Slovenian culture
Society of Slovenia
Observances in Slovenia
Holidays
A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate ...