Today, Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag Day was marked at Old Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church on Palmer Square during Taste of Serbia.
The holiday, normally observed on September 15, is a key date symbolizing unity and respect for the Serbian people’s shared past.
Serbian national unity is emphasized primarily as a cultural concept rooted in preserving spiritual and national identity. 
Hierarchical Liturgy and Blessing of the Flag
The program began with a hierarchical liturgy served by Bishop Serafim of Kostajnica, vicar bishop to Metropolitan Longin of New Gračanica and Midwestern America. Also attending were the Consul General of the Republic of Serbia, His Excellency Dr. Marko Nikolić, and Her Excellency Tatjana Telić, Consul General of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After the service, Bishop Serafim blessed the flag of the Republic of Serbia to mark Serbian National Unity Day. The consuls general of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina then raised it together.
“Today, with great pride and joy, we are marking Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag Day. I want to congratulate the Serbian people, here in America, in our homelands, Republika Srpska and Serbia, and wherever Serbian people live. As the name of the day says, this is a time to remember the importance of our unity, our freedom and our national identity,” Telić, Consul General of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told Chicago na dlanu, adding:
“It is a great pleasure and source of pride for us to see that the Serbian people living here in Chicago, in this special place that has preserved our roots for generations, recognize, respect and nurture this so deeply. And we, of course, in the capacity and role we perform, strive to contribute to that as much as possible.”
Consul General of the Republic of Serbia Dr. Marko Nikolić added:
“Following what the respected Ms. Telić said, I can only conclude that, above all, we are celebrating our fundamental Serbian values: harmony, unity, freedom and the national flag.”
Special Guests at the Event
Special guests included Maria Pappas, Cook County Treasurer, who presented her book of memoirs, and renowned Vienna-based artist Branko Jovanović Bako.
Ties between Serbia and Republika Srpska are not strengthened only through joint events, political dialogue and infrastructural and spiritual bridges in our homelands. Taste of Serbia again showed how strong the ties are among our people living abroad.
Photo: Milan Brašanac
View the Photo Gallery From This Event
