I heard stories about ‘svečari’ – beings that glow in the dark. I didn’t see them myself, but some claimed they did. One neighbor said that something was choking her in bed at night. We didn’t know if it was a ‘svečar’ or another creature, but such stories brought fear and caution. Pilgrimages were considered special places – Marija Bistrica, Sveti Juraj na Bregu, Lopatinec. I remember buying ‘turski med’ (a type of nougat) on a vine leaf and rooster-shaped candies. In the village, the feast of St. Anthony was the biggest event, with a chapel and festive decorations made of leaves. These stories and customs brought a sense of mysticism and a feeling that the landscape was more than just land – it was sacred. Today, these legends are told less because young people have television and books, but in my childhood, they were part of our identity.