ŽIVKOVIĆ-RAJILIĆ: PRESENTATION OF THE LORD - ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAYS FOR SERBS

BANJA LUKA, FEBRUARY 9 /SRNA/ - Božica Živković-Rajilić, President of the Republika Srpska Association of Women Victims of War, stated that Presentation of the Lord /Sretenje/ is one of the most important national holidays for Serbs, noting that its celebration commemorates several historical dates that affirm the centuries-old existence of the Serbian state.

"This is a holiday for all Serbs, wherever they live, especially in the region, which is why it is celebrated both in Serbia and in Republika Srpska," Živković-Rajilić told SRNA on the occasion of the upcoming observance of the holiday as Serbia’s Statehood Day and Republika Srpska's Statehood Day. According to her, the celebration of this holiday serves as a reminder of several historical events, most notably the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804 and the adoption of the first constitution in 1835 in the Principality of Serbia. "That was, even by today's standards, a very just constitution with the highest democratic principles," Živković-Rajilić noted. She emphasized that remembering these dates highlights the centuries-old existence of the Serbian state, the struggle for liberation from the Ottoman Empire, and specific phases of development and progress of the Serbian people. The joint celebration of Presentation of the Lord as both the Statehood Day of Republika Srpska and the Statehood Day of Serbia was established by the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People, adopted at the All-Serbian Assembly in Belgrade on June 8, 2024.