SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

The event took place on 22 July 2023. As this story is one of the activities for the preservation of the traditional traditions of our country, it is right that it should be written and read about.

I was told about the event by the President of the Association, Alojz Kerin, but to give it the right background, we need to go back a few years. This project was born in Babince in 1999, and, as a representative of the Babince Tourist Cultural Society said at the time, it was the idea of the late representative of the Babince Tourist Cultural Society. He wanted to carry out a project that would unite all Slovenian associations. So, after the first harvest, the project was handed over to the next association, and every seventh year the planting, harvest and event are organised again in Babince.

In order to be able to hold the event in Raqqa, they had to prepare the ground for harvesting as early as 2022. More than 3000 seeds were sown on the plot in front of the Raka Castle. The field was shaped like a rake of onions. They took care of it for a whole year so that they could carry out the planned event the following year.

It's harvest time. After a welcoming speech by the Vice-Mayor of the Municipality of Krško and Alojz Kerin, President of the Lovrenc Raka Tourist Board, the harvesting and selection of the largest ear of corn began. A record was set for the number of grains, with 79 grains in one ear, which has never been recorded by any other association.

The mowing was carried out with sickles and scythes adapted for cutting wheat, and the wheat, bundled into sheaves, was loaded onto a cart and transported by horse to Raška Castle. After the mowing, it was read. The thief was also tried and punished in the medieval style and tied to the castle's shameful stone. In the castle, the threshing with threshing machines was carried out in the ancient way, followed by the cleaning of the wheat with a grate and a wooden machine, or with a .. 

After the wheat was cleaned, the entire crop was weighed. It weighed 20 kilograms. During the mowing and threshing demonstration, several local musicians performed as part of the accompanying cultural programme. Under the tent, a symbolic gift-giving ceremony took place between the associations, along with the handing over of the grain to the association, which is to continue the project next year. 2000 gold grains. This task fell to the association from Šentrupert, which received 3484 grains from the president of the Lovrenc association.

One more interesting point needs to be made. The tradition of this project is that a society receiving 2000 grains adds to it the number of grains from the largest ear they have harvested in the plot sown. Thus, each year, this number is increased by the number of grains of the largest ear only.

To make such a big event happen, associations and individuals came together and organised a huge, almost year-long project. With cooperation and style, the event was carried out with excellence and attracted a large number of visitors, who watched with interest the harvest and everything connected with it.

Andreja Bakšič Grozdina, 2. 7. 2025