Feb 15, 2023
Serbia National Day 2023
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates Serbia National Day, which is observed for both historical and cultural reasons. The first Serbian Uprising started on this day in 1804 and eventually led to freedom from Ottoman rule after more than five centuries.
Also on this day in 1835, Serbia passed the Constitution of Sretenje and established its first national parliament. These two events formed the foundation of the parliamentary, democratic Serbia known today.
The first constitution got its name from Sretenje, a folk tradition where the mythical bear goddess Mečka Božana wakes from her winter slumber and leaves her cave. If she sees her shadow, she’ll retreat back to her cave and expect more weeks of winter. However, if she doesn’t see her shadow, Mečka Božana will welcome the warmer weather and search for food.
On National Day, Serbians believe if it’s cloudy, the rest of winter will be beautiful. If the skies are clear, the remaining days until spring will be frigid and bitter.
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