Slovenia’s oldest folk dance festival lights up Črnomelj

Črnomelj, a quiet small town in the south of Slovenia, transforms into a buzzing place every June for the Jurjevanje, the oldest folk dance festival in the country. Taking place in a natural amphitheatre called Jurjevanjska Draga, it attracts visitors from near and far.

Named after Green George, the mythical Slavic herald of spring, happiness and abundance, the festival is a true holiday for the town and an opportunity for different generations to come together and have a drink, enjoy local delicacies, catch up on gossip, and dance, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Jurjevanje has been the central cultural event in the region for six decades, with locals always speaking of it with pride. It is seen as not only preserving the cultural heritage but also encouraging tourism and boosting the local economy.

Every year, folk dance groups coming from countries as far as Colombia, Russia, Mexico, Argentina, and Puerto Rico come to Črnomelj, bringing music and festive atmosphere to the small town.

Regional groups also take the stage, including a Serbian community group that is active in Črnomelj.

Where the magic happens

This year, groups from the US, Paraguay and Singapore staged a spectacle for visitors with colourful and energetic performances, and vibrant rhythms, creating a flair of summer and exoticism.

Although the accompanying events of the five-day festival, including concerts, exhibition openings, presentations, and sports events are held all around the town starting on Thursday, the main stage at Jurjevanjska Draga.

This is the place where all the dance groups take the stage and where the evening concerts are held. It is also where the singers and dancers mix with visitors, take photos together, and where, if you're a local, you are very likely to run into an old acquaintance or a friend you have not seen in years. It is also a place where sometimes new friendships are made, including ties that cross borders.

The party usually lasts well into the night, with the most eager Jurjevanje fans reluctant to part even in the small hours.

A celebration of heritage

Jurjevanje is a member of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts, an official partner of UNESCO. It is named after the Jurjevanje ritual, traditionally performed in the Bela Krajina region on 24 April. Its central figure is the Green George, an ivy clad creature that celebrates the beginning of a new life cycle.

It is always held on the weekend of the summer solstice and a bonfire is usually lit in Jurjevanjska Draga where women folk singers in traditional costumes take visitors back to the times when young girls would walk from house to house singing traditional songs and accepting small gifts during the solstice.

The midsummer bonfire and the Jurjevanje were the two most important traditional annual festivals throughout the Balkans. For shepherds, Jurjevanje was the main annual ritual, as it was the day when they first drove their livestock to pasture, hence the many beliefs and magic associated with St George's Day.

The festival dates back to 1939, when an event called the Festival of Folk Songs and Dances was held in the Črnomelj town square, presenting folk traditions, dances, rituals and games from the Bela Krajina region.

The first festival in the more modern form was held in 1964. Initially, only regional folk tradition from the late 19th and early 20th centuries was presented. Over time, this evolved into a showcase where dances and customs from other parts of Slovenia and Yugoslavia were also presented. In recent years, it has become even more international.