Roman Catholicism (Rimskokatoliska Cerkev v Slovenji), the dominant religion of the country
Figures on the number of Catholics in Slovenia are contradictory. The 2002 census - the most recent to date - indicated that there were 1.14 million faithful, i.e. almost six Slovenes in ten. The Catholic Church's report, which is more recent but lacks sources, puts the number at 1.5 million, or 73% of the population. Beyond these debates over figures, Catholicism is still very present in Slovenian society, not least because of the role it played in the independence process. It should be remembered that only Slovenia and Croatia had a majority of Roman Catholic faithful in the Yugoslav federation.
There are two major ecclesiastical provinces based around the main cities of Ljubljana and Maribor. Each is divided into six dioceses. There are almost 3,000 Roman Catholic places of worship throughout the country, supervised by fourteen bishops and over a thousand priests.
The leading figure in the Slovenian Church is certainly the Archbishop of Ljubljana, Stanislav Zore, in office since October 2014. He is notably known for his role as a political activist during the victory of the "no" vote in the referendum on opening marriage to same-sex couples in 2015. Beyond this atypical personality, the Slovenian Catholic Church often gives its opinion on major societal and social issues, through its newspaper Družina.
Religious minorities in the minority
The second religion in Slovenia is not really a religion because it brings together atheists and agnostics, about one-sixth of the national population (300,000 people). With about 50,000 followers, Orthodox(Vzhodna pradvoslavna cerkev) and Muslims(Monoteistična religija muslimanov) each account for 2.5% of the population. The former are mainly from the Serb minority, concentrated mainly in the capital and Lower Carniola. The major figure of the Orthodox Church of Slovenia is the Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana, Porphyry. The main place of worship is the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius, located on the edge of the Tivoli Park in Ljubljana. Muslims, on the other hand, are mainly from the Bosnian, Albanian and Kosovar minorities. The main leader of the Islamic community in the Republic of Slovenia is Mufti Nedžad Grabus. There is only one mosque in Slovenia, the construction of which was launched in the mid-2010; it is partially financed by Qatar. It is expected to open its doors in the course of 2020. This lack of a place of worship poses a real problem of representation, which is not failing to make public opinion react, divided between the promotion of religious freedom and a constant desire to contain the spread of Islam in the country.
Minorities with a rich past but no future
Indeed, Protestantism(Protestantizem) has a glorious Slovenian past. The people of Slovenia long supported the Protestant Reformation when it was in its infancy. It played a significant role in the development of the Slovenian language and resistance to Austrian control. However, the Habsburgs countered this momentum with a policy of assimilation based on Catholicism and Germanization. Protestantism died out considerably over the centuries, today involving only a tiny proportion of Slovenes (around 5,000 people) at the eastern end of the country.
The Jewish community also shares a long history with the Slovenian territory. The latter has often served as a refuge for the religious minority from all kinds of segregation and persecution, particularly at the eastern end of the country, where a few old synagogues are still part of the architectural heritage (Maribor, Lendava). Today, only a few hundred Jews live in Slovenia, almost all of them in the Ljubljana region. A synagogue was inaugurated in the capital in 2003, but it is sorely lacking in worshippers. Slovenia's chief rabbi, Ariel Haddad, lives in Trieste.
Beliefs that are as popular as ever
Slovenians have a particular taste for passing down folk beliefs and legends from generation to generation. The most famous of these is undoubtedly that of Zlatorog. It's a tale that has crossed the centuries and the many complex borders of Central Europe. First published in 1868 by Karel Dechmann, it was poetically adapted by Rudolf Baumbach in 1877, before being translated into Slovenian by Anton Funtek in 1886. The legend tells the story of an Alpine ibex living in the Triglav region. He is the guardian of a hidden treasure. One day, to impress his bride-to-be, a hunter wounds Zlatorog. Bleeding profusely, the animal sprays his blood across the pastures, causing a multitude of red flowers to emerge. Thanks to their miraculous power, he comes back to life and kills the hunter, keeping the enigma of his treasure for himself until the end of time. The mythology surrounding Zlatorog fosters the idea of a sacred nature that must be respected. The popularity of this legend is enormous: there are two statues of Zlatorog on the shores of lakes Jasna and Bohinj, many hotels and restaurants in the region bear the name Zlatorog, and the character appears on the bottles of the famous Slovenian beer brand Laško.
Carnivals are great relays for popular legends. The most famous of these is Ptuj, with its international reputation. Carnival-goers dress up in kurenti, a handcrafted sheepskin disguise. They take on the fantastic appearance of original creatures, half caveman, half yeti, and call for the end of winter and a return to prosperity. It is listed as a Unesco intangible heritage site.
Other carnivals are well worth a visit: Cerkno's carnival features a group of twenty-five characters, known as laufarji, each representing a personality trait of the Slovenian people. The Hrušica carnival is distinguished by the promotion of its škoromati, protagonists who represent Slovenia's rural past and wear the national colors. Finally, the Cerknica carnival has a more traditional appearance, bringing together conventional characters. However, the opening of the festivities is far less traditional, as it involves the sawing of the witch Ursula.
A festive month of December
The country's most popular end-of-year celebration is St. Nicholas Day(Sveti Miklavž in Slovenian). This is an ancient tradition, inherited from Orthodox Christianity and perpetuated over the centuries. The first written record of St. Nicholas Day celebrations in Slovenia dates back to 1839. There are a large number of Christmas markets throughout the country: they start early, well before the famous December 6 date. Saint Nicholas travels in procession, accompanied by his angels and devils. Legend has it that only well-behaved children were allowed to receive presents, while unruly ones were not.
Christmas celebrations (December 24-25) are also held in Slovenia, but do not yet enjoy the same popularity, although they have become an essential moment for families in the middle of the winter vacations.
Finally, New Year's Eve (December 31) is much more popular, thanks to the arrival of Dedek Mraz (literally, Grandpa Gel in Slovenian). The Soviet twin of the American Santa Claus, he brings presents to groups of people and drops them off in public spaces. He is distinguished from Santa Claus by his large white coat, although he shares many similarities with him. According to national legend, every year he descends from Mount Triglav with the help of his two Lipizzaner horses, usually in the company of his granddaughter, Snégourotchka.
