Armistice Day in Serbia
Serbia observes Armistice Day, officially called the Day of Armistice in the First World War, on 11 November. It is a non-working state holiday that remembers Serbian civilians and soldiers who died during the 1914–1918 war and is marked with official commemorations and a distinctive flower emblem.[1][2]
A state holiday and day off
Serbia’s Law on State and Other Holidays names the Day of Armistice in the First World War as a state holiday celebrated on 11 November. On state holidays observed as non-working days, state and other public bodies, companies and other organizations generally do not work; services that must operate to prevent harm, or whose work requires continuity, may continue.[1]
If 11 November falls on a Sunday, the next working day is also non-working under the law. The rule concerns the next working day, rather than automatically moving the holiday whenever it falls on a Saturday.[1]
Meaning and history
The date recalls the armistice that took effect at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918 and brought the fighting of the First World War to an end. In Serbia, the day also commemorates the hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers who died in the struggle to defend and liberate the country during the war years 1914–1918.[2]
Serbia’s law included the holiday among state holidays in a 2011 amendment. In 2012, the government recommended a visible emblem for its observance, creating the basis for the flower badge now associated with the day.[1][3]
Commemorations and the ramonda emblem
Official observances have included wreath-laying at war memorials. A Serbian government account of a central commemoration describes tributes at the Memorial Charnel House of the Defenders of Belgrade from the First World War and other military cemeteries.[2]
The emblem is Natalija’s ramonda, a flower also known as the phoenix flower, set against a background in the colors of the Albanian Commemorative Medal. It is intended to be worn during the week before Armistice Day and on the holiday itself. The Serbian government explains the flower’s symbolism through its ability to revive after drying and being watered, an image associated with Serbia’s recovery after the First World War.[2][3]
What to expect
The holiday law sets a general non-working rule for public bodies and organizations, but it also allows essential services and operations requiring continuous work to continue. It does not give a specific opening schedule for banks, shops, schools or public transport. Check individual providers for their holiday hours and timetables.[1]
Armistice Day in Serbia: FAQ
When is Armistice Day in Serbia?
It is observed every year on 11 November. If that date falls on a Sunday, the next working day is non-working under the state holiday law.[1]
Is it a day off?
Yes. It is a non-working state holiday. Public bodies, companies and other organizations generally do not work, although essential or continuous services may operate.[1]
What is the holiday’s main symbol?
Are banks, shops and public transport open?
The law generally provides for public bodies and organizations not to work on the holiday, but essential or continuous services may operate. Shops and transport operators set their own hours, so check with them before you travel.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Armistice Day in Serbia:
- ZAKON O DRŽAVNIM I DRUGIM PRAZNICIMA U REPUBLICI SRBIJI- Paragraf Lex
- INFORMACIJA POVODOM OBELEŽAVANjA DANA PRIMIRJA U PRVOM SVETSKOM RATU- Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
- Дан примирја у Првом светском рату- President of the Republic of Serbia