Slovenia · World Bee Day

World Bee Day has been observed annually on 20 May since 2018. Its establishment arose from an initiative by Slovenia, launched by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and supported by the government. Following consultations at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly declared 20 May an international day of observance in December 2017. The coin issue thus coincided with its first observance.

The date commemorates Anton Janša’s birthday in 1734. Janša came from Breznica in the Habsburg region of Carniola (Krain), which is now part of Slovenia. He initially worked as a painter, but later turned to beekeeping. At the Viennese court, he was appointed teacher of beekeeping and taught at a beekeeping school in Augarten. In his writings, he dealt, among other things, with the keeping and propagation of bee colonies. Janša died in 1773; his teaching methods continued to influence beekeeping education in the Habsburg Monarchy.

Bees and other pollinating animals enable the reproduction of numerous wild and cultivated plants. They are therefore connected both with biological diversity and with agricultural production. The day of observance is intended to draw attention to threats to pollinators. These include the loss of suitable habitats and food sources, intensive agriculture, plant protection products, diseases and climate change. It refers not only to honey bees, but also to wild bees and other pollinators.

Slovenia has a strong beekeeping tradition. The Carniolan bee (Krainer Biene), a subspecies of the western honey bee, is particularly associated with the country. Painted front boards of traditional beehives are also part of Slovenian folk culture. The commemorative coin therefore took up both an international decision initiated by Slovenia and a subject closely connected with the history and culture of the issuing country.