The 26th Martin's Day was held on November 22, 2025, in the restaurant of the Hospitality School in Banja Luka.
The Association of Slovenians of the RS Triglav once again gathered dear guests – compatriots from the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, members of national minorities from Banja Luka, as well as its own members, for a traditional gathering on the occasion of the folk custom of christening must. Despite the difficult weather conditions and heavy snow that hit the region that day, about 200 participants gathered.
The program was opened by the Davorin Jenko choir, after which the President of the Association Mladen Lunić, the Head of the Department of Culture of the City of Banja Luka Nevena Blagojević Podrić, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to BiH Damijan Sedar addressed the gathering.
This was followed by the performance of the children's folklore group of the Triglav Association, which performed a mix of traditional Slovenian dances, followed by the female vocal group Bisernica and the male choir Kromberški Vodopivci from Nova Gorica. Their well-rehearsed performances, under the conductorship of Bogdan Brecelj, delighted the audience and were an excellent introduction to an evening filled with song, dance and socializing.
Special attention was drawn to the solemn act of baptism of the must, when Saint Martin and his assistant Moštek performed their witty and stage-rich performance. In the dialect characterstic of Prlekija, Peter Kirič and Miran Trop sent a series of humorous wishes, prayers and advice to the "farmer-vineyard" and to everyone present. The ceremony ended with a spontaneous joint singing of a toast with fellow countrymen from Kromberk - which, according to many, was the highlight of the evening.
After the ceremony, a rich dinner was served, prepared at a high professional level by the hardworking students of the Hospitality School with their professors and mentors. The fun part of the evening belonged to the band Efekt from Novi Mesto, which made everyone present dance with their recognizable repertoire of Slovenian and ex-YU hits, so the dance floor was too cramped at certain moments. Their performance was realized thanks to the Association's long-term partnership with the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work from Novo Mesto and Branka Bukovec, who also attended the event.
This year's Martin’s Day was also marked by the successful debut running of the program, which was performed exceptionally well by a young member of the Association, Marija Budiša from Slatina.
We welcomed our guests and friends with wide open hearts, and sent them off filled with their warmth and energy, proud that another Martin's party in Banja Luka was successfully organized.
Mladen Lunić
