Vincekovo in Sveti Ivan Zelina January 25, 2026: Vrtače Opens the New Viticultural Year with Mass, Blessing, and Old Customs
Vincekovo, the feast of St. Vincent, which is perceived in wine-growing regions as the beginning of the new viticultural year, will be celebrated again this winter in the Zelina area in Vrtače, on the plateau of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Kalinje. According to the event calendar of the Tourist Board of the City of Sv. Ivan Zelina, the event is announced for Sunday, January 25, 2026, starting at 11:00 AM, at the location Vrtače – Chapel of the Holy Spirit. In the Prigorje region around Sveti Ivan Zelina, this date traditionally gathers vine growers, winemakers, and numerous visitors who wish to experience a ceremony that combines religious rite, agricultural practice, and the social life of the place.
At the very center of Vincekovo is a message that is repeated year after year but does not lose its importance: the vineyard is a living job and a living concern, exposed to weather, diseases, and pests, but also rewarded with everything a good year brings. That is why in the viticultural tradition, the role of protector is attributed to St. Vincent, and the rite in the vineyard becomes a sort of “entry” into the new season. In Zelina and the surrounding area, it is also an opportunity to recall the identity of the region, which has been building a reputation for vineyards, wine, and hospitality for decades.
If you are coming to Zelina for the whole weekend or arriving from afar, it is good to plan your arrival and stay in advance, especially due to winter conditions and the larger number of visitors:
accommodation for Vincekovo visitors in Sveti Ivan Zelina.
Program in Vrtače: Mass, then vineyard and the symbolic “first cut”
The announcement of the event in Vrtače is linked to the chapel and vineyards which are quiet in this period, but never “asleep” in terms of viticultural care. According to the organizational pattern that has become established in Zelina in recent years, Vincekovo begins with a Holy Mass in the chapel, and then continues in the vineyard with a blessing and the traditional rite. The announcement for this year's celebration states Mass at 11 AM and the blessing of the vineyard at 12 PM, followed by the part of the ceremony that is most recognizable to many: visiting the vines, watering the vine with wine, and symbolically gifting it with homemade sausage.
That part of the custom is not folklore for the sake of folklore, but a clear message of gratitude and hope. The vine grower “toasts” to his vine and to what is yet to come, and the sausage on the vine becomes in practice a sign of the abundance that is desired. In the rite, the first cuttings are then cut from the pruning wood and taken home, where they are placed in water. After a few weeks, the budding of the cutting gives the vine grower a rough but useful picture of how the vine has overwintered and what the beginning of vegetation might be like. In a time when the unpredictability of winter and sudden cold snaps are increasingly spoken of, that “old method” is still an important small household indicator of the vineyard's condition for many.
For visitors, Vincekovo in Vrtače also has a third dimension that cannot be measured by a timetable: socializing. The announcement foresees mulled wine and homemade sausages, along with an atmosphere that in Zelina has been linked for years with song and togetherness. The program also mentions the Croatian Singing Society Zelina, which traditionally contributes to the ambiance on such occasions, and the entire event, alongside the religious framework, also becomes a social meeting of the village, the city, and guests.
If you want to be close to the location and avoid returning at the last minute, it is practical to consider:
accommodation near Vrtače and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Why Vincekovo is more than one day: symbolism of protection, work, and the start of a cycle
In wine-growing regions, Vincekovo functions as the “zero point” of the new season. Although the most visible part of the event takes place in the middle of winter, the messages are directed towards spring, summer, and the harvest. Vine growers address the patron saint in prayer for a more abundant harvest and protection from frost, hail, diseases, and pests, but also from all other disasters that can nullify months of effort. That sentence contains the entire agricultural reality: nature gives and takes, and the vine grower is constantly between planning and adaptation.
That is why it is no coincidence that viticultural discipline and the “first cut” are often discussed precisely on Vincekovo. Pruning is not just a technical job, but a decision on the future load of the vine, on the balance of yield and quality, on whether the vineyard will be “pushed” into quantity or if the concentration and maturity of the grapes will be preserved. In Zelina, where the tradition of quality has been built for generations, Vincekovo is a reminder that good wine does not happen by chance, but through a series of small, well-measured decisions throughout the entire year.
At the same time, it is also a day in which agricultural practice intertwines with the identity of the place. For some visitors, Vincekovo is a religious holiday, for some a cultural tradition, and for some a “weekend event” that combines a trip, local gastronomy, and the experience of the Prigorje landscape. In Zelina, this combination is particularly visible because the manifestation is linked to the chapel and vineyards, therefore to two points that have historically carried both spiritual and economic meaning for the region.
Vrtače and Kalinje: a small location with great recognizability
The plateau of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit in Kalinje, or the Vrtače area, is not an accidental location. In such places, tradition is easier to preserve because it is close to people: the chapel is a landmark, vineyards are nearby, and customs are not “scenic” but belong to everyday life. Precisely because of this, Vincekovo in Vrtače often attracts even those who do not otherwise follow viticultural topics, because the atmosphere is authentic, and the encounter with the vineyard is immediate.
For Sveti Ivan Zelina, such events also have broader significance. Touristically, they fill the winter calendar, a period that is often challenging in continental destinations. Socially, they gather associations and institutions. Economically, they remind that viticulture is not just a hobby, but part of local production and local offer, from wine to food and experiences. And that is why the announcement already emphasizes the invitation to all who wish to “start the new year in good company”, with a tradition that is passed down in the same space and similar rhythm from year to year.
For guests who wish to extend their stay, it is not unusual for Vincekovo to fit into a wider trip around the Zelina area, with a tour of wine points and local gastronomy. In that case, this can help:
accommodation offers in Sveti Ivan Zelina for the weekend of January 25.
Organizers and local cooperation: Brina Association, City, and Tourist Board
According to the event announcement, the host of the Vincekovo celebration is the Association of Winemakers and Vine Growers Brina from Kalinje, along with co-organizers the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina and the Tourist Board of the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina. Such a model of cooperation has become common for manifestations that are simultaneously traditional and public: the association brings knowledge, people, and the viticultural “logic” of the event, the City ensures institutional support and logistics, and the Tourist Board helps in communication and including visitors.
In practice, this means that Vincekovo in Vrtače is not just a “celebration in the vineyard”, but also an organized event that must take into account safety, access, winter conditions, and program flow. For visitors, this is good news because it reduces improvisation, and gives tradition a framework that allows it to remain alive and visible.
Dragutin Stražimir and the “school of viticulture” of the Zelina region
The story of Vincekovo in Zelina can hardly be told without the historical figure of Dragutin Stražimir, the Donja Zelina parish priest whose work is often cited as key to the development of viticulture and winemaking in the region. According to data from local museum archives and displays of his legacy, Stražimir systematically transferred knowledge about viticulture through articles and books and was publishing texts as early as the 19th century which were later printed as a separate book, and then in an expanded edition under the title “Viticulture”. Museum records also highlight the fact that the 1876 edition was published in Zagreb and had the status of a university textbook, which speaks to the weight of his work in the context of that time.
His contribution was not only in writing. In local tradition, it is emphasized how he encouraged vine growers and winemakers to exhibit and compete, because he believed that quality is built through comparison, learning, and ambition. Today's wine exhibitions and the culture of wine evaluation in Zelina are often described as part of that heritage. In that sense, Vincekovo is not an isolated custom, but part of a broader story of how the wine-growing region organized, educated itself, and created a reputation.
For today's vine growers, Stražimir's message about knowledge and quality sounds surprisingly modern. Technology has changed, but the fundamental questions remain the same: how to protect the vine, how to maintain the health of the vineyard, how to hit the right moment for intervention, and how to ultimately get wine that will be recognizable. Vincekovo therefore also functions as a reminder of continuity, of the fact that viticulture in Zelina is still a story of work and learning, and not just of celebration.
What visitors can expect: an experience of tradition without “scenic excess”
Part of the audience comes to Vincekovo for the religious content, part for the customs in the vineyard, and part for socializing. In Vrtače, these three lines naturally merge, without the need to “explain” the tradition beyond what people see and hear on the spot. In this context, visitors can usually expect the following:
- Clear event rhythm: gathering around the chapel, Mass as the beginning, then departure or moving towards the vineyard and continuation of the rite. Such a sequence gives a sense of meaning, and not just a series of points in a program.
- Visible symbols of the viticultural beginning: cutting the shoot, watering the vine with wine, and gifting with sausage as a sign of gratitude and hope. Although the gestures are simple, they are the core of the story and most often what visitors remember.
- Winter atmosphere and Prigorje ambiance: mulled wine, homemade food, and song create a framework in which people linger, talk, and experience the place, and not just “pass through the event”.
Precisely that immediacy distinguishes Vincekovo from many manifestations that have over time become too large or too commercial. In Zelina, it is still emphasized that this is a custom that belongs to vine growers and their families, and visitors are welcome as guests who wish to understand and respect tradition.
If you plan to stay until the afternoon or arrive earlier due to crowds and parking, you can consider:
accommodation in the vicinity of Vrtače for a one-day or weekend visit.
Zelina as a winter weekend destination: tradition that fills the calendar
In the winter part of the year, continental destinations often depend on a few key dates, and Vincekovo is one of those that regularly creates a reason for arrival in Sveti Ivan Zelina. This is not just a question of tourism, but also of local self-confidence: when a custom is held year after year, when it is passed on to the younger generation, and when associations, the City, and the Tourist Board gather around it, it becomes a clear message that the community knows what it wants to preserve.
For visitors from Zagreb and the surrounding area, but also for those coming from other parts of Croatia, Vrtače offers a short escape from the city routine into an ambiance that is simultaneously peaceful and lively. Winter in the vineyard is not spectacular at first glance, but it is strong in impression: bare vines, cold air, the smoke of mulled wine, and the sound of song in the background create an atmosphere that is difficult to convey by photography. And that is why Vincekovo in Zelina remains an event to which people return, not because of one “attraction”, but because of the feeling that they are participating in something that is real, local, and recognizable.
Hosts from the Brina Association, along with the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina and the Tourist Board, invite all interested parties to come to Vrtače, enjoy the viticultural tradition, and spend Sunday in good company. In a time when many habits change quickly, that invitation sounds simple, but actually speaks of an important thing: the need to preserve the connection between the land, work, and the community, exactly where that connection has been formed for decades.
Sources:- Tourist Board of the City of Sv. Ivan Zelina (visitzelina.hr) – event calendar and announcement “Vincekovo” for Jan 25, 2026 at 11:00 AM, location Vrtače – Chapel of the Holy Spirit (link)- Tourist Board of the City of Sv. Ivan Zelina (visitzelina.hr) – monthly view of the event calendar for January 2026 with the entry “Vincekovo” (link)- City of Sveti Ivan Zelina (zelina.hr) – archive post “Vincekovo 2025” with a description of the start at 11:00 AM in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and the continuation of the vineyard blessing (link)- Večernji list (vecernji.hr) – report/announcement on Vincekovo in Vrtače with a description of customs (Mass, vineyard blessing, cuttings, sausage, mulled wine, participation of HPD “Zelina”) (link)- Museum of Sveti Ivan Zelina (muzej-zelina.hr) – virtual exhibition on Dragutin Stražimir with data on his texts and the edition “Viticulture” (1876) and his role in the development of viticultural knowledge (link)
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