The main national ceremony was held on Friday in the Celje, while masses will be held in Evangelical churches around the country today.

Bishop of the Slovenian Lutheran Church Geza Filo said in his message on the eve of Reformation Day that the first books in the Slovenian language put Slovenians on the map of European nations.

During the Reformation, Slovenians became a cultured nation and stepped on the path to uncover the true Christian beliefs based on the only true foundation - the Bible, which was translated into Slovenian at the time, he added.

A similar message was delivered by Speaker Milan Brglez, who said the holiday marked what is essentially the birth of standardised Slovenian language. That, he said, has allowed the nation to persevere.

The Reformation movement in Slovenia brought the country Protestant reforms, following the example of Martin Luther in Germany.

The most prominent Slovenian Reformist was Primož Trubar (1508-1586), who wrote over 25 books, among them "Cathecism" (1550), the first book in Slovenian. "Cathecism", which was also the first printed Slovenian book, was complemented by Trubar's spelling book "Abecedarium".

Reformation Day has been observed in Slovenia as a bank holiday since 1992. Slovenia is a majority Catholic country, with Protestants accounting for only about a percent of the population. The majority live in the northeastern region of Prekmurje.