Praznici i festivali u proljeće u Crnoj Gori

The beginning of such a beautiful time as spring is already a holiday. Someone once said that God created the universe in spring. Why not? For many people, the new year begins in spring. In this wonderful time, one wants to occupy themselves with adventures, to plunge into the new world, and there are a lot of amazing places and events that are held every spring on the Balkan Peninsula. This time of year is impossible to imagine without flowers, because they are one of the symbols of spring. In Montenegro, flowers are treated with special trepidation, many festivals and days dedicated to one or another flower.

All events in Montenegro are held exclusively in the national style and in this article we will try to tell you about the most interesting, unusual and exciting of them that take place in spring.
 
Days of camellia (Kotor, Stoliv).
The first such holiday, taking place in March in Kotor and Stoliv is Camellia Days. This is a local colorful holiday with a rich program, in which the central place belongs to camellia. These days, there are local events and a lot of concerts dedicated to the camellia flower, thematic installations are made, camellia exhibitions are organized, a camellia ball is organized, where Lady Camelia is chosen. The main flower of the holiday is connected with a beautiful legend, which dates back to the 18th century, according to which, in 1870 camellia was brought by a captain from Japan as a gift to his wife.

"Spring camp." 
This is an event dedicated to the maintenance of tourist routes and the development of tourism in Montenegro. In the spring of 2017, this event will take place in the Mediterranean part of Montenegro with the goal of cleaning, updating the marks and promoting the transboundary route of coastal mountaineering and its connecting paths.

Gold Fuzz (Rozaje).
The Golden Fuzz (golden path) is a children's music festival of authors and performers, which is held in Rozaje.

Durmitor Golden Eagle and International Para (Ski Cup Durmitor).
This is a sporting event, as well as a cup of extreme sports on the slopes of the ski resort of Zabljak in the National Park of Durmitor.

"Metubes" (Budva).
Annual tourist fair, which takes place in the popular resort town of Budva near the residential complex Tre Canne.
 
Many official state holidays in the country are based on Orthodox traditions. According to the law in Montenegro, holidays are days off.

5-kilometer swimming marathon (Sutomore, Bar).
A 5 km long swimming marathon is an endurance test for swimmers, those who are seeking a challenge for themselves. The marathon is entertaining, as swimmers leave Sutomore (Hotel Sozina) to reach the finish in the Bar (Hotel Topolica). On the way they are waiting for the incredible adventure of conquering the waves of the Adriatic.

16 April - Easter.
Easter is one of the biggest and, of course, the brightest holidays. In early times, according to the Christian tradition, the eggs were colored red. Eggs are a symbol of resurrection, which in its time was confirmed by the Christian church. Among the followers of Eastern Christianity (also in Montenegro) it is said that Mary Magdalene brought cooked eggs to share with other women at the grave of Jesus, and the eggs in her basket miraculously became bright red when she saw the risen Christ. Eggs can be put in a basket full of real or artificial straw, resembling a bird's nest and go to church. People in Montenegro are mostly Orthodox, and they use the Gregorian calendar, from where the date of Catholic and Orthodox Easter is different. These holidays are in Montenegro officially non-working, including Good Friday, Holy Sunday and Monday. The tradition itself begins on Good Friday, when in all the houses in Montenegro mostly women are busy making eggs. When the eggs are made, it is customary not to touch them until the Sacred Sunday. On Holy Saturday, shortly before midnight, people gather in the church for the Divine Liturgy, which is one of the most significant in the Christian Church. In Montenegro, the largest congregation of Catholics is in the cathedral of St. Tryphon in the Old Town of Kotor.

International cycling race "Following the Roads of King Nikola" (Bar, Bijelo Pole).
There is a time when a huge number of bicyclists gather in the Balkans, and it is not an accident. In April, an international cycling race takes place here, starting in the north of the country and passing along the Adriatic coast through the cities of Montenegro and Italy. It is considered one of the most prestigious and the most difficult cycling race in the Balkans, in which all the leading Balkan cyclists take part. Among other things, the cycling race "Following the Roads of King Nikola" is included in the program of the international cycling organization and is traditionally held every year.

Podgoritsky supermarathon.
Competition for 100 km running in Podgorica. A huge number of participants every year run 100 laps around the hill, which is in the center of the Montenegrin capital and is called "Ljubovic"

From sports events we are moving smoothly to cultural ones.

HAPS - April Theater Festival (Herceg Novi).
Traditional theatrical event in Herceg Novi, in which small theaters from the region take part and demonstrate their works.

Quite a lot of music festivals are held every year in Montenegro and sometimes you can lose count and not follow everyone.

Festival of young musicians in Montenegro (Kotor).
Kotor will host a festival for beginners talented musicians this year that will present to the audience new names of pupils and students with music education. This is an excellent occasion to come and support gifted people who are going towards their dreams.

International Music Festival "A Tempo" (Podgorica).
Following the festival of young musicians, in Podgorica there is the next, no less interesting festival A Tempo. Under this name, there will be a celebration that promotes classical music. It will be attended by foreign artists and certainly artists from Montenegro.

Fair of Montenegrin souvenirs (Becici, Budva).
Going away tourists, having visited a couple of events, for sure, will want to take a piece of Montenegro with them. Especially for this in Becici, near Budva is the annual souvenir fair. At the fair,souvenirs of decorative and applied art of Montenegro are sold.
 
1 May is Labor Day!
This is an annual celebration of workers and their achievements. The history of this holiday is connected with one of the darkest chapters of American labor history. Today a standard working day is 8-9 hours, but in the late XIX - early XX centuries workers from American city of Chicago fought for it. In Montenegro, this holiday began to be celebrated only in 1918. May Day is a very important international holiday, symbolizing the work and its significance in the life of every person.

Carnival in Budva.
Incredible scale carnival takes place in the resort town of Budva in early May. The whole city is covered with a mask, to be more exact - its inhabitants, guests and all those who adhere to this tradition. An unusual festive celebration begins with a masquerade ball that flows into a huge city flash mob. Covered with masks, famous carnival groups, theatrical companies are strolling around and eventually all of them become participants of the next dance festival Grad Teatar Budva. More than 2500 dance studios of Europe and even Rio de Janeiro provide their representatives for performances at the festival. The date changes every year.

12 May - St. Basil Ostrog Day.
In the popular Montenegrin monastery Ostrog, carved in the rock, the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog are kept, which is considered the patron of Montenegro. Today, pilgrims from all corners of the earth, of different denominations and nationalities come to this great Ostrog wonderworker, as it is believed that his strength is so great that people in prayer received miraculous healings both during their life and after death. Sick people are brought here, and the saint mercifully heals them. The Day of St. Basil of Ostrog is a holy holiday in Montenegro, which can be put on a par with Christmas and Easter.

14 May is the Day of the Holy Prophet Jeremiah.
14 May has a religious basis, so it is not so often celebrated as other events. Girls on this day sometimes can gather at the door of the house with sheep bells. They sing "Jeremiah songs". For the period of this holiday the singer is called a queen, emphasizing the importance of their singing. Sometimes, instead of girls, young men go around the village shouting: "Jeremiah in the field, run, snake, into the sea!"

15 May - Shooting in the Rooster (Perast).
This event is dedicated to the historic victory over the Turks in 1654. On that far day, the inhabitants of Perast managed to repulse an attack by the troops of the Turkish pasha and thereby save from the enemy's attack not only their own city, but also the neighboring Kotor. Traditionally, the holiday is opened with a march of Bokela sailors to the sounds of the city orchestra, which is invited from the city of Kotor or Tivat. Not everyone can take part in the national dress as a Bokela sailor, since for this role it is necessary to be born in Perast, to be a real Perashchanin (a resident of the city) and to come from a family of sailors. Therefore, the composition of the official procession does not change a lot from year to year and consists mainly of older men. Further, all participants march along the embankment move to the main square of the city next to the church of St. Nicholas. Near its walls they lay out an ancient musket, with the help of which the defense was conducted more than 350 years ago, and the sword, which killed the Turkish pasha. During the holiday, all comers have a unique opportunity to make a photo with a Bokelian.

During traditional rituals, preparations of the main event of the feast - shooting at the rooster is being prepared. The rooster symbolizes the Turkish fleet, perhaps because of the similarity of the red comb and the Turkish little fez. The bird is tied to the board and put afloat at a distance of 300 meters from the shore. One of the Bokelian - indigenous inhabitant of the city of Perast must get into the rooster. However, anyone can also shoot a target from an old musket. For 3 euro the shooter is given a chance to pull the trigger three times. By tradition, the winner gets a shugaman (towel) with the inscription "Pobjednik u gadanju kokota. Perast » (The winner in shooting at the rooster, Perast). While the hero is surrounded by a crowd, a rooster is solemnly taken by boat to be given to the winner. They must take the bird in their hands and walk with it along the central street of Perast to the sounds of the city orchestra. Similarly, traditionally, the winner should be given a barrel of wine (50 liters), which then they have to drink with the townspeople.

International Book Fair (Podgorica).
A new and highly visited event in Podgorica. At this fair there are collected various Balkan publications reflecting the nature, traditions and customs of Montenegro, as well as books from the countries of the Middle East. At the fair, as a rule, many historians, art experts, writers and other creative people get together.

The Montenegro Cup (Kotor, Niksic).
Competitions in rock climbing for the cup of the country.

21 May is Montenegro's Independence Day.
On 21 May, Montenegro celebrates the national holiday - Independence Day. For all residents of the country this is a significant day, as 11 years ago, on 21 May, 2006 it gained its independence and became a sovereign state. This is a truly great day for all those who have long believed and waited for Montenegro to become such a state. Today, a decade after independence, despite all the problems, Montenegro is a modern, developing and stable country, as well as a reliable partner in the international society. Montenegro, although small in area, but is a great country with rich national traditions, its history and an incredible and unique culture. Every year, on May 21, every city in Montenegro hosts various festivals, celebrations and concerts, and the spirit of freedom and independence is floating in the air.

25 May - Youth Day (Tivat). 
This day in Tivat, and in all cities of Montenegro, a large number of young people get together. In the former Yugoslaviya it was the birthday of the country's president - Josip Broz Tito. Today, as part of the program of celebrating the "Youth Day", events are held that resemble the very day of youth: patriotic songs and hymns of past festivals are being performed. The cultural and entertainment program is quite extensive - even comradely football matches are held. As in previous times, within the framework of the festival, a traditional youth relay race passes through several Montenegrin cities with the finish in Tivat.

Main Graduation concert (Podgorica).
The Ministry of Culture and Sports, in connection with the end of the academic year, organizes a grandiose final concert - a musical event dedicated to graduates of all secondary schools annually in mid-May. The concert is attended by famous performers who are very popular with teenagers and young people, as well as young unknown talents who are striving for success and are just beginning their creative career. Also, on this day various awards are given to the best pupils of the primary and senior schools of Podgorica, as well as to students of the last year who won the state contest.

Montenegro Open (Ulcinj).
This is a traditional beach football tournament on the sand of the Small Beach in Ulcinj.

Please pay attention: the dates of some holidays, such as Christmas, Fasinada or Independence Day, remain unchanged from year to year, the greater part is changing, and often this is due to the weather conditions. Find out the exact dates for carrying out of any event through our feedback form, in the city's tourist organization or in the community.

 

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