If we had to encapsulate this year of editing the current issue of the Yearbook with a proverb, it would undoubtedly be, “Life comes at you fast!” To uphold the visibility and maintain the high standards of our journal, we have made significant strides, including the composition and publication of a Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, as well as the integration of our work into the LOCKSS archiving system via the Public Knowledge Project PLN (PKP). Additionally, we are diligently working to convert and archive older paperback issues of Proverbium into a new, online format. With the publication of this issue, we proudly announce the open-access availability of more than twenty past Proverbium yearbooks in the Archives section. Each article from these older volumes is now individually accessible and searchable, just like those in the current online edition.

As many of you already know, alongside editing this issue, we have dedicated considerable effort to publishing two volumes in the Proverbium Online Supplement Series, accessible as open-access books published by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek. The first volume, an impressive 828-page surprise book for Wolfgang Mieder on the occasion of his 80th birthday, is the third volume in the Proverbium Online Supplement Series. Edited by our esteemed colleagues Saša Babič, Fionnuala Carson Williams, Christian Grandl, and Anna T. Litovkina, "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants": A Festschrift in Honour of Wolfgang Mieder on the Occasion of his 80th Birthday, was launched on February 18, 2024. This festschrift features forty-three essays in English and German, many of which draw on Wolfgang Mieder’s work, showcasing the wide variety of topics and research approaches influenced by this remarkable individual. On behalf of the Editorial Board, our reviewers, authors, and readers, we extend our warmest wishes to Wolfgang Mieder: Dear Wolfgang, may the coming years bring you even more joy, happiness, and good health. We know your enthusiasm for scholarly work will continue to shine brightly!

The fourth volume in the Online Supplement Series is a true gem. Edited by Aderemi Raji-Oyelade and titled Postproverbials at Work: The Context of Radical Proverb-Making in Nigerian Languages, it is a collection of remarkable essays exploring the postproverbial imagination in contemporary African language communities. Drawing on theories in transgressive paremiology, the authors bring perspectives from ethnography, philosophy, history, literature, sociolinguistics, and gender studies to illuminate interpretations of radical text practices. This pioneering book, the first of its kind published in Europe, was launched on June 23, 2024.

In addition to these extraordinary reads on proverbs, the 41st volume of the Yearbook presents a wealth of fascinating topics and innovations, from defining proverbs to exploring paremiological prolongations in Slovenian, animals in short folklore forms and in Phalee proverbs, Persian and American embodiment proverbs, proverbs of the Balkans, Spanish and English language, and even in music, in Prince’s lyrics. We express our deepest gratitude to the reviewers of this volume—Péter Barta, Mario Brdar, Fionnuala Carson Williams, Elke Cases, Charles Clay Doyle, Maricel Esteban, Anna Konstantinova, Outi Lauhakangas, Anna T. Litovkina, Marcas Mac Coinnigh, Matej Meterc, Wolfgang Mieder, Draženka Molnar, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Grzegorz Szpila, Katalin Vargha, and Damien Villers—for meticulously reading all submitted papers and selecting only those that meet the high standards of our journal.

In addition to the articles, the review section features critiques of four noteworthy books in the fields of German, English, Kazakh and Slovenian paremiology, whereas Wolfgang Mieder’s bibliographies remain a must-read for all scholars interested in proverbs.

As we bring this edition to a close, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all contributors, reviewers, and readers who have supported and enriched Proverbium over the past year. Your unwavering commitment and insightful feedback are invaluable to the continued success and evolution of our journal. We are excited to see the new avenues of research and discussion that will emerge from this volume. We invite you to immerse yourselves in the diverse and enriching content of this issue, exploring the depths of proverb studies from various cultural, linguistic, and thematic perspectives. May the knowledge and insights contained within these pages inspire new scholarly endeavors, foster meaningful dialogue, and deepen your understanding of the intricate world of proverbs.

Thank you for being part of the Proverbium community. We look forward to your continued engagement and contributions in the years to come.

Melita Aleksa Varga and Hrisztalina Hrisztova-Gotthardt