PHOTO: Zagreb`s Roma People Celebrate St. George`s

Braco Cigan said that the Roma people will determine the outcome of the upcoming local elections.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – It`s St. George`s Day and I`m not with the one I love… smiling Romani sang to the sounds of trumpets, marking their biggest holiday, St. George`s Day, which celebrates the end of winter and start of warm May.

St. George`s day is celebrated on April 23 by the Julian calendar and on May 6 by Gregorian calendar. At the same time, it is the biggest Romani holiday which celebrates the return of spring. Many traditions linked with this holiday originate from the joint tradition of many peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is on this day that the Roma people wear festive clothing, jewellery, Roma music resounds every room and the people dance.

At the very edge of Zagreb, near the Homeland Bridge, hundreds of Roma people gathered at Braco Cigan`s place and proudly marked their tradition. There was drinking, eating and dancing all until the morning hours.

Apart from the festivities, St. George`s Day was also marked by many electoral posters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate for the Zagreb mayor post Milan Bandic, who is also the incumbent mayor. His face could be seen in every tent, in Braco Cigan`s café, even on cars and vans. Just by appearing at the festivity, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic delighted all the Roma people, who surrounded him in an instance, kissed him, hugged him, offered him food and drinks…

Mayor turned Zageb into Hollywood

- The mayor turned Zagreb into Hollywood! Vote for Milan Bandic! – the Roma people invited everyone.

Boasting that he has done a lot for the Roma people, Bandic announced new billboards with him stomping on the puddles in their quarter, promising not to give up on investing into this settlement until it will have all the things that downtown in Zagreb has.

- I see this most beautiful bridge and se cars heading from the North to the East and vice versa. Bridges don`t connect only roads, but people as well, regardless of their skin colour, nationality and gender. I am and will be the mayor of all Zagreb citizens. I have invested the last atom of strength, and God gave me more. We will work together next year – Bandic told the crowd.

Take a look at the attached photo gallery: Zagreb`s Roma People Celebrate St. George`s Day 1 and Zagreb`s Roma People Celebrate St. George`s Day 2.