Every year, on June the 25th, more than 300 million Slavs around the world celebrate the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs. At the moment, the Slavs are one of the greatest and oldest nations who share common traditions, views on life, and similar languages. In this article, we’re going to look at the origin of this holiday and traditions related to it.

Origin of the holiday

The Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs appeared in the 1990s. The holiday was created for the Slavic people to remember their historical roots, tried to preserve the culture and long-term relationship with each other. Previously, representatives of this nation lived on the territory of 15 republics, which made one state – the USSR. However, in 1991 the USSR collapsed, and most of the republics became independent states.

The aim of the holiday is to unite people, to establish friendly and partnership relations which encourage preservation of the unity of the Slavs. Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus were the first states that made the first step for the unity. They signed a number of agreements about mutual cooperation on equal terms.

How the holiday is celebrated

The Slavs comprise the main part of population in such countries as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Montenegro. The Slavs also reside in all post-Soviet countries, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Austria, Italy, in America and Australia. National and cultural associations existing in these countries make a great contribution to enhancing the unity of the Slavs. Every generation inherits unique traditions, customs, rituals, and culture.

In Russian, Belarus, and Ukraine the Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs is widely celebrated. Traditionally, each of the countries in turn becomes responsible for the celebration. A lot of cultural events are organized: concerts, performances, exhibitions, which attract thousands of guests from different countries. Singers, musicians, foreign guests, artistic groups, official delegations, public organizations, and all interested participate in the celebration.

The Day of Friendship and Unity of the Slavs proves that relations that have been established over the centuries cannot be divided by any boundaries. The Slavs around the world will forever share common memories and great pride for their past and unique culture.