Slovenia is credited for World Bee Day, which is celebrated annually on May 20. This bee-loving country is expanding its efforts to raise global awareness of the importance of bees, our endangered pollinators.
Slovenia undertook the initiative to declare May 20 as World Bee Day because that was the birthday of 18th Century bee expert Anton Janša (1734-1773), who was the first bee-keeping teacher and the father of apiculture at the court of the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa.
Slovenians have a passion for their bees and they are the only European Union Member State that has protected its native bee, the Carniolan bee (Apis mellifera carnica). As a result, the Carniolan bee is the second most common honeybee in the world. It is known for its gentle nature, industriousness and excellent sense of orientation.
This 4:44-minute video by BBC Reel is about Bee Therapy, the stress-busting benefits of sleeping with bees, as Slovenia has installed therapeutic beehives around the country to help release stress and anxiety:
Three years after the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 20 as World Bee Day, Slovenia is establishing a system whereby they will bestow the highest state award in the area of bee protection and for recognizing the roles that bees and other pollinators play in food security, nature conservation, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and cultural heritage.
Awarding the Golden Bee Award is part of the government's action plan for the "World Bee Day" project in 2022. They hope it will encourage and support innovative excellence in people who have made important contributions to protecting bees and other pollinators globally, as well as for raising awareness of how vitally important they are to humanity.
During its 30th regular session on May 9, 2019, the government approved the awarding of the Golden Bee Award as defined in the government’s action plan. This is considered one of the most important activities at the global level.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed that the date of May 20 would be known as World Bee Day with a special resolution in December 2017. The main purpose of World Bee Day is to focus attention on raising awareness with people around the world about how important bees and other pollinators are in preventing hunger, and for sustainable development and humanity in general.
World Bee Day also offers the opportunity to share Slovenian knowledge and technology in the field of beekeeping and to demonstrate that the country of Slovenia is green, healthy, innovative and proactive on a global level.