New York, February 17, 2025
Photo: generalmihailovich.com
By order of the mayor, February 15 was celebrated in New York City as Serbian-American Heritage Day.
This is now the second year that Mayor Eric Adams has made this proclamation. 
New York mayor declares Serbian Heritage DayThis was the first such day in history of Serbian-American relations in New York City.
“>Last year, the heritage day fell on February 26, coinciding with the feast of St. Simeon (Stefan) Nemanja, the progenitor of the Serbian medieval dynastic family.
This year, Serbian-American Heritage Day coincided with the feast of the Meeting of the Lord, which also marks the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, “a key event that launched the Serbian Revolution, as well as the adoption of Serbia’s first modern constitution—the Sretenje Constitution of 1835, which paved the way for international recognition of Serbian independence in 1878,” reports the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America.
The diocese writes about the importance of the proclamation and Serbian-American relations:
This declaration strongly reaffirms the respect of the City of New York and Mayor Adams for Serbia, Serbian Americans, and the Serbian community in New York, the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia, as well as the Consul General Vladimir Božović. As stated in the proclamation: “New York is home to a vibrant Serbian-American community … and we are deeply grateful for its tremendous contributions.”
The Serbian community has made an outstanding contribution to the development of New York throughout history and continues to do so today, enriching its unique status as a cosmopolitan center. At the same time, New York has always been an inspiring environment for the achievements of great Serbian minds, such as Nikola Tesla and Mihajlo Pupin.
This proclamation also testifies to the increasingly strong and meaningful relations between the Republic of Serbia and the United States, particularly in the dynamic context of New York. Inspired and encouraged by this declaration, we remain committed to further strengthening the visibility of the Serbian presence here, for the benefit of the Serbian community, this great city, and the lasting friendship between Serbia and the United States.
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