Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day) Date in the current year: June 28, 2024

There are no reliable facts about the existence of Saint Vitus. According to Christian legend, Vitus was the son of a Roman senator from Sicily. He converted to Christianity under the influence of his mentor. Satin Vitus died as a martyr during the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Since the 19th century, some Serbian scholars and authors have associated Saint Vitus with the pagan Slavic god Svetovit. This theory was especially prominent during the peak of the Romantic era. Today, some researchers still support this theory, while others consider it to be erroneous.

Be that as it may, Vidovdan is an important holiday for all Serbs and a significant part of their national identity, partially because many important events in Serbian history occurred on this day, starting with the 1389 Battle of Kosovo between the Serbian army and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire. Although the results of the battle were inconclusive and the leaders of both armies were killed, it brought Serbs closer together as a nation.

Other important events that occurred on this day, coincidentally or intentionally, include the beginning of the Serbian-Ottoman War in 1876, the signing of the Austro-Serbian Convention of 1881, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 that triggered World War I, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and the proclamation of the Vidovdan Constitution in 1921.