New Year's Day, known as 'Novo Leto' in Slovenia, is one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. It marks the start of the Gregorian calendar, which is January 1st and is a public holiday with most businesses shutting down to allow people to celebrate. Slovenes begin their celebrations on New Year’s Eve, widely known as Silvester, named after Saint Silvester. It is followed by New Year’s Day which everyone eagerly waits for to start their year with grand celebration and joy.
For the Slovenian people, New Year's Day is not just a day of merrymaking but also of customs and traditions. One such tradition is the 'First Footer' where the first person to enter the house after midnight is supposed to bring good luck for the coming year. Generally, a dark-haired male is chosen as they are considered particularly lucky. Apart from this, Slovenians also believe in predicting the future on New Year’s Day by observing the direction of the wind or the behavior of animals.
Slovenians joyfully participate in the New Year's Day celebrations which includes fireworks, open-air concerts, and festive dishes. Traditional foods like 'potica' - a rolled pastry with various fillings, and 'kranjska klobasa' - Carniolan sausage are served. 'Srečno novo leto' can be heard echoing throughout Slovenia, which means 'Happy New Year'. Thus, New Year's Day in Slovenia is a combination of customs, festivities, and optimism for the coming year.