SLOVENIAN DAY IN SLATINA

We have chosen Slatina primarily because Slovenians settled the area as early as in 1926, and they mostly moved from Primorska. That is the reason many Slovenians call Slatina and its wider region “Slovenian Slatina”.
This time rain changed our plans but we were persistent. We were together with numerous friends, including a group of singers and a folklore group from Novo mesto, Kranj, friends from Trbovlje, representatives of the Consular Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad, leading people of the City of Banja Luka and the municipality of Laktaši, many businessmen – and despite heavy and constant rain we kept good atmosphere. Many stands where we presented different handicraft met the purpose and enriched the event.
The Slovenian Day was a day filled with songs, joyous polkas, waltz and dancers, as well as traditional food and drinks.
Many associations took part at the Slovenian Day. Among them was also the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work from Novo mesto which brought a folklore group Kres, accordion group “Gorjanski odmev”, young singer and an instrumentalist on a piano and diatonic accordion Valentina Kragelj. Men choir “Maj” arrived from Kranj, and from Banja Luka there were pupils of Elementary School “Holandija” from Slatina, students of Supply Teaching Lessons and Culture as part of our Association, and a folklore group KUD Čajavec. We had a special guest academic painter and poet Mrs Popović, sister of a famous ethnologist from Slatina, Vaso Popović. It was with the song she wrote and read that she wanted to revive the memory of her brother, born in the area. Programme was presented by Mr. Željko Šarić with the assistance of a coordinator from our Association.
The Association of Slovenians “Triglav” Banja Luka would like to extend sincere gratitude to all participants in the programme part, all guests, sponsors, inhabitants of Slatina, municipalities of Laktaši and Banja Luka, and all those who made our day special.