Day of the State Flag, the State Emblem and the National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus

The annual ceremony of pledging allegiance to the state symbols of the Republic of Belarus by young citizens of the country traditionally took place in the State Flag Square in the Belarusian capital on 14 May.

Several thousand people, mainly the youth, gathered on the square in Minsk to take part in the solemn ceremony. To the sounds of the anthem, the guard of honor carried a huge State Flag of Belarus and an image of the emblem onto the square.

The oath of allegiance to the state symbols were said by the youth from all the regions and Minsk. The ceremony also included creative patriotic performances by youth groups representing the Belarusian oblasts and Minsk.

This holiday was established by the decree of the Belarusian president of 26 March 1998 and is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of May. In accordance with Article 19 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the symbols of Belarus as a sovereign state are the State Flag, the State Emblem and the National Anthem.

The emblem and the regulations on the flag were approved by the decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 7 June 1995 following the nationwide referendum held on 14 May 1995.