Colors of Novo Mesto - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

The townspeople are characterized by a special culture, which finds manifestation in every aspect of life. They are very proud of their historical heritage, historic buildings and monuments erected hundreds of years ago can be seen on all city streets. An important component of the local culture is beautiful holidays, some of which were first held back in pagan times. Among the oldest and most interesting traditions, it is worth mentioning the New Year's Carnival. The holiday program starts in the city a few weeks before the New Year. Fairs and performances are held on the main city streets and squares, and a few days before the New Year, it is customary to hold the carnival. Everyone is invited to participate - you just need to put on a colorful suit and a mask.

Similar festivities are held on the occasion of the Butter Week. Among the main symbols of this holiday are frightening masks. Hundreds of years ago, with their help, local people tried to scare winter away so that it would soon give way to spring and rise to a new fertile year. A mandatory component of all the local holidays and festivals is folklore performances. National music is especially popular among tourists - traditional Slovenian music is very energetic and slightly reminiscent of Austrian. The fact that musicians are dressed in beautiful traditional costumes makes dance and music performances even more spectacular.

An essential component of local culture is gastronomic traditions, which have remained unchanged for centuries. Many travelers call the local cuisine “peasant”, as much of the dishes are very easy to prepare and serve. Local restaurants mainly use regional products, therefore, they offer pretty affordable prices. Its guests are invited to try hearty meat and potato dishes, as well as dozens of soups - a distinguishing feature of the regional menu. A kind of "attraction" of traditional cuisine is mushroom dishes, which can be tasted at every step here. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Of great importance to local residents are winemaking traditions, which gave rise to many symbolic holidays. One of the locals' favorites is St. Martin's Day that falls on November 11th. Locals consider St. Martin to be the patron saint of winemaking and a holiday dedicated to him is annually celebrated in many cities of Slovenia. On the day of the holiday, it is customary to hold wine and gastronomic festivals. The bulk of the entertainment programs take place in the open air.

At fairs organized on the squares, you can try and buy the best local wines and regional delicacies. During the holiday, they also organize special thematic tours, during which you can visit historic wineries and cellars. In recent years, St. Martin's Day has become a large-scale gastronomic holiday whose participants can get acquainted with the peculiarities of the production of the best regional products.

Apart from the beautiful age-old traditions, the inhabitants of Novo Mesto are known for a modest and friendly character typical of Slovenes. They are very responsible people characterized by a hardworking and serious nature. One of the main values for local residents is the family and traditions related to it. It is not customary to put family life on public display - family affairs can only be discussed in a narrow family circle.

Local people are big patriots, not only of their country but also of their hometown. It is not for nothing that ordinary citizens take part in many holidays and festivals - each of them wants to make their contribution to the preservation of native culture. Here, people behave reserved without raising voices and showing off emotions in public places. Also, visitors to the city should take into account that it is customary to start a working day here quite early - some state institutions may open at 7:00 am. The working day also ends quite early, no later than 3:00-4:00 pm. Residents of the city can hardly be called big fans of nightlife entertainment. Many of them prefer to spend evenings at home. The streets are almost empty after 10:00 pm so Novo Mesto doesn't offer a wide choice of nightclubs.