An important part of celebrations is the making of "pirhi", decorated cooked eggs, which are considered one of the most beautiful forms of Slovenian folk art.

According to Jata Emona, a company specialised in production and retail of eggs and poultry, the consumption of eggs doubles in the week before this holiday.

The original Slovenian "pirhi" are red, as they are coloured with the dye of red onions. Their colour gives them their name - from the Hungarian word piros, meaning red - while eggs are a symbol of eternity and Christ's resurrection.

Records suggest that the decoration of eggs in Slovenia during Easter dates back to the 17th century. Over time, Easter egg-making became more elaborate and imaginative and today Slovenian "pirhi" are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of Easter eggs in Europe.

Many Slovenians took the pirhi to their local church to be blessed on Saturday along with the other traditional Easter dishes such as the potica cake, ham, horseradish, bread and various local specialties.

The food is then eaten at a traditional Easter breakfast which is usually held after the mass. Family gatherings are also usual for Easter Sunday, when processions are held at churches around the country.

In Ljubljana, Archbishop Anton Stress will lead the procession, which will be followed by a mass at St Nicholas Cathedral in the city centre. The leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Slovenia, Bishop Geza Erniša, will celebrate Easter mass in the town of Moravske toplice.

Stres highlighted the significance of courage to rise, change and go on, as he presented his Easter message in Ljubljana on Monday, while Erniša underlined the importance of preserving humanity, love and solidarity in a society dominated by materialism.

This year, some parts of the country will have white Easter, as the winter persists with record 50-year low temperatures and one of the biggest amounts of snow on record.