Statehood Day, known also as National Day of Slovenia, is a holiday that occurs on 25 June in Slovenia to commemorate the country's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Although the formal declaration of independence did not come until 26 June 1991, Statehood Day is observed on 25 June since that was the date on which the initial acts regarding independence were passed and Slovenia became independent. Slovenia's declaration led to the Ten-Day War with Yugoslavia, which it eventually won. The war resulted in the signing of the Briony Agreement. According to this agreement, Yugoslavia withdrew its forces from the territory of Slovenia, and the latter suspended activities towards the declaration of independence for three months. Statehood Day is not to be confused with Slovenia's Independence and Unity Day, which is celebrated each year on 26 December in honour of 26 December 1990 and the official proclamation of the results of the plebiscite held three days earlier in which 88.5% of all Slovenian voters were in favor of Slovenia becoming a sovereign nation. Statehood Day is an official non-working holiday. Schools, colleges and businesses are closed to celebrate the holiday.
It is worth mentioning that Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia at the same time and also celebrates its Statehood Day on 25 June. However, Croatia celebrates its Independence Day on a different day, 8 October. What is more, Croatia was the first country to recognise Slovenia’s independence.
Did you know?
- The linden tree is a symbol for the Slovenian people. The tree can survive centuries and it represents love, friendship, and loyalty in Slovenia.
- The name of the country’s capital (Ljubljana) translates as “the loved one”.
- Slovenia by some estimate has a winery for every 70 people.
- Slovenia is a country dotted with picturesque natural wonders. It has the highest number of caves (more than 10,000) in the world and more than half of the country is covered with forests. Postojna is the biggest (20,570 m long) and most well-known cave system in the world.
Celebrate this special day by practising your interpretation skills with the Speech Repository. There you will find 67 speeches in Slovene aimed for both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation that treat various topics. Let’s get started!
Happy practice,
Your Speech Repository Team