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February 15, 2026
RAIN FALLS ON SERBIA'S CANDLEMAS DAY
Today is Candlemas, one of the most important dates in Serbian tradition – a holiday that combines the religious and the folk, the spiritual and the temporal. It is the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, celebrated on February 15th, which is also Serbia's Statehood Day.
TL;DR
- Candlemas (Sretenje) is a major Serbian holiday on February 15th, also observed as Statehood Day.
- Folk belief holds that the weather on Candlemas predicts the remainder of winter.
- A sunny Candlemas suggests winter will persist, while cloudy or rainy weather indicates spring is near.
- A well-known tradition involves a bear emerging from its cave: if it sees its shadow (sunny day), it retreats, signaling six more weeks of winter; if it doesn't see its shadow (cloudy day), spring is coming.
- The name 'Sretenje' signifies a 'meeting,' representing the encounter of winter and spring and a potential shift in seasons.
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