Why not celebrate New Year’s Eve twice?

If fireworks, street parties, bar hopping and staying up until next morning are your thing, why limit yourself to just one celebration per year? If New Year’s Eve is 'the moment' of the year for you, why don’t you double the pleasure? If you have dreamed to countdown to midnight for the second time, why not celebrate New Year’s Eve twice? For all this and much more, the perfect destination to pin on your New Year’s bucket list is amazing & awe-inspiring Banja Luka, the least known European capital.

Julian vs. Gregorian Calendar

The reason why people of this city celebrate New Year’s Eve twice is very old. It has roots in its Orthodox tradition and the Julian calendar’s day calculations, that actually pre-dates the Gregorian calendar. According to this calendar, January 1 is marked on January 14 of the Gregorian Calendar. Hence, the Orthodox New Year, also known as Old New Year, starts on that day. Consequently, the Old New Year’s Eve in Banja Luka is celebrated on January 13.

Start over?

Since New Year’s Eve is so much fun, who wouldn’t like to celebrate it twice? Well, in Banja Luka, feasts on January 13 are equally impressive as those on December 31, perhaps even better. Some people consider that December 31 is just a rehearsal for the feast two weeks after. Everyone takes the preparations very seriously. Literally, everything is happening the same way again – street parties, bar hopping, family gatherings, midnight countdown and the fireworks, of course.

When one New Year’s Eve is not enough

So, if it happens that, for some reason, this New Year’s Eve disappoints you, don’t panic. You still have a chance to catch up on January 13 and to join the crowd in Banja Luka, that will party like there is no tomorrow. People here really know how to celebrate and enjoy life to the fullest. Just make sure to book your ticket and the accommodation on time, as the city becomes crowed around those days. And when you book, I warmly advise you to stay a couple of days more, since this place might be the best surprise on your bucket list with its succulent cuisine, thrilling nature & adventures, as well as the most beautiful women in the Balkans. Now that you know where and how, why not celebrate New Year’s Eve twice?

Banja Luka

Banja Luka 78000, Bosnia and Herzegovina