In their festive sermons, Slovenian bishops invited people to look to Jesus's sacrifice to find a meaning for suffering and to rejoice and open to life, urging them to abandon fear for love.

Celebrating holy mass in the Ljubljana cathedral, Archbishop Stanislav Zore raised topical developments in his sermon, noting that the world today provided many reasons for uncertainty and fear.

"You should know, dear brothers and sisters, that love is more powerful than any fear and that it overcomes every fear. I hope that in risen Jesus Christ you'll decide to be guided in life by love, not fear. For it is love which brings life, while fear opens the door to death," Zore said.

"Easter makes us understand that all our work, our concerns, suffering, our daily troubles and tribulations have their true meaning," Andrej Glavan, the president of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, said.

Bishop Glavan, who celebrated mass in Novo mesto, urged people to abandon fear and doubt and follow Jesus, who he said had shown everyone the path to life.

In Maribor, Archbishop Alojzij Cvikl too called on believers to look to Jesus to find the true meaning of suffering, and to find a new hope, joy and love.

It is not enough for man to look for material things, he said, adding: "Our life only gets its true purpose when we open to God, who becomes close to every man in risen Christ".

The leader of the Slovenian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bishop Geza Filo, underscored the importance of love for the fullness of life in his sermon at Primož Trubar's Church in Ljubljana.

The resurrection of Jesus into eternal life is the Christian answer to man's yearning for life, "which cannot accept that death would have a final say", Filo said, but added that man alone could not fulfil that yearning.

"Man cannot be redeemed by science, wealth, power or fame. Man can only be redeemed by love," he said, adding that many needed the certainty of unconditional love, which could only be God's," Filo said.

Today, religious and many non-religious families traditionally got together for a big early breakfast, typically followed by mass.

This is after they brought their food in baskets to local churches for blessing on Easter Eve.

A typical basket includes "pirhi", the elaborately decorated hard-boiled eggs, as well as ham, horse radish, the potica nut cake, and selected local specialities.

Starting on Thursday, Easter festivities will wrap up on Easter Monday, which is a bank holiday in Slovenia. It is a time spent visiting relatives and friends.