Jurjevo (St George's Day)

In Slovenia, the folklore character of Green George was once widespread, but it has been preserved in Bela Krajina to this day. Among the Slavs, George took on many of the characteristics of the old pagan god Jaril, such as the arrival of spring. For the shepherds, it was the main annual holiday, because on this day they first drove the cattle to pasture, so there are many beliefs and magic associated with St. George's Day.

Slavic heritage:
The Slavic name for Green George, in the pre-Christian era, was Yarilo. Yarilo was the son of the supreme god Perun, and was said to have been born around the winter solstice (around December 25). After birth, Yarilo is kidnapped by the god of darkness and the underworld, Veles, and taken to Virej as a wolf shepherd. In the spring, Yarilo finds the key to the underworld and releases water on the earth, and heads home. He rides on a horse and nature turns green behind him.

From pagan to Christian faith:
Since the inhabitants of Bela krajina did not accept Christianity easily, the priests had to adapt to the inhabitants. The Christian faith appropriated pagan customs and saints and Christianized them. This is how from Yaril, St. George was born. George kept the horse, they added a spear with which he kills a snake or a dragon (symbolic of Veles, or Evil). The Christian story of St. George represents a hero from Cappadocia on a horse who saves the princess from an evil dragon. Croatia celebrates St. George's Day on April 23. We would have celebrated it the day before, too, but Zeleni Jurij did not have enough money for a ferryman to take him across the River Kolpa. That's why he worked all day to earn money for the ferryman. And so he arrived on April 24!

Shepherd ritual:
On St. George's Day, April 24, the village shepherds gathered, dressed one of the shepherds as Green George, put a small, green tree in his hands, and then they walked from house to house. The housewives presented the shepherds with eggs or money, the housewives took a twig from Green George and stuck it on the roof. People believed that because of this the hens would diligently lay eggs. When the housewife did not give Green George a present, his companions tore off the twig themselves and threw it over the roof of the house so that the hens would never lay eggs again. They evenly shared what they got.

Ritual from Črnomelj:
At the črnomaljsko obredje, on St. George's Sunday, the youth gathered at the Hill Grič, where one of the unmarried young men was dressed in green (Green George). The girls decorated the young birch tree with colorful ribbons and flowers. The group of girls and young men then went to town. The procession began with young men blowing whistles and blowing trumpets to drive away evil forces that would prevent the arrival of spring. They were followed by boys who carried the decorated tree called mlaj, behind which Zeleni Jurij walked, followed by girls. The townspeople enthusiastically awaited the procession in front of Stonič Castle, where the girls picked up doormats, and then the procession took Green George to the bridge under the church of the Holy Ghost, where they threw the green basket into the Dobličica River. With this, they symbolically return him to the underworld, in the hope that next year it will bring a rich spring again.

From Jurjevo to Jurjevanje:
Especially interesting is the time after Jurjevo, when the bonfire period begins - the time from Jurjevo to the bonfire. This is the time of rapid growth and the first ripening of crops. At this time, the harvest was not yet guaranteed, so known and unknown natural forces played a special role here. To protect the harvest from natural disasters, people organized a ritual priestly procession, the so-called Bonfire Night, which was held on June 24, on St. John's Day.
In this period, we start in Bela Krajina with Jujevanje, the oldest folklore festival, which was organized for the first time in 1964, as the only one of its kind, it was first an event showing the folk dances of Bela Krajina from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Over the years, the events at the festival have broadened and developed further.
But first of all, they had trouble finding an authentic folk song for Green George, because after World War 2 it was almost forgotten:
"The late France Marolt also visited me in Štrekljevac, who was looking for a folk tune for the authentic Green George from Bela Krajina. I came here at least twenty years too late. /.../In the middle of Štrekljevac, right in front of him, in Magdičeva's house, France Marolt squealed with happiness when Magdičeva sang Green George to him. He wrote like crazy, but there was no tact and he didn't hit the mark. Then the 83-year-old Magdička sang and danced at the same time. "Hurrah, I already have it!" screamed Marolt.." (Zupanc 1960: 192)