Serbia is today celebrating Statehood Day – known also as Sretenje, as it coincides with the Orthodox feast of Sretenje (Candlemas). On this day in 1804, the Serbs, led by Djordje “Karadjordje” Petrovic, decided to start the First Uprising against occupying Ottoman Turks.
On the same day in 1835, the first constitution of the modern Serbian state was adopted in the town of Kragujevac. President Aleksandar Vucic is this Friday presenting state decorations to deserving individuals and institutions.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will lay a wreath at Karadjordje’s tomb in Orasac, central Serbia – a ceremony that will also be attended by Serb Republic (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic, and Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic.
National Assembly President Maja Gojkovic will lay a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Hero on Mt. Avala near Belgrade. According to announcements, Sretenje should be marked in Podgorica by the opening of the Serb House – a home for the institutions guarding the Serb culture and identity.
Statehood Day is a two-day non-working holiday in Serbia.
