Events dedicated to Romania's National Day were held on Monday in several counties across the country.

Bistrita-Nasaud
Hundreds of people gathered in the historic centre of Bistrita to celebrate National Day, attending the military and religious ceremony near the statue of Andrei Muresanu, the author of the National Anthem's lyrics.

Among the officials present was the Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan, who is also a deputy for Bistrita-Nasaud.

As in previous years, military equipment from the 81st Mechanised Brigade Bistrita and units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was absent from the parade that concluded the official ceremony.

The parade was followed by a folk performance by the 'Dor Romanesc' ensemble.

At 18:00, the traditional torchlight procession by soldiers of the 81st Mechanised Brigade is scheduled, starting again from the central area near the Bistrita Orthodox Protopopiate.

Dolj
National Day was celebrated in several localities of Dolj County, with thousands attending.

Photo credit: Nicolae Badea / AGERPRES Photo

In Craiova's centre, in front of the statue of ruler A.I. Cuza, a military-religious ceremony took place, along with the parade of law enforcement and a folk performance.

This year's speech was delivered by IPS Irineu, Metropolitan of Oltenia and Archbishop of Craiova, who emphasised that 1 December is a celebration of the Romanian people, the fruit of their will, a historic event that marked the history of Romanians and the life of every Romanian from then to the end of the century.

The Metropolitan highlighted that the 1 December 1918 Union could not have been achieved without faith and love for the nation and for every individual, and concluded with a quatrain from Saint Hierarch Dosoftei, Metropolitan of Moldavia, the father of Romanian poetry: 'Who builds a tower of peace, towers of brotherhood / Lives a life without burden in its own wealth. / For life lived together in brotherhood is better / Than the weapon that destroys the Christian army. / Therefore, we can say with great joy: Happy Birthday, Christian Orthodox Romanian people! Happy Birthday, Romania!'

Events were also held at the Heroes' Monument near Dablueni Town Hall, the Heroes' Monument in Bailesti, in Calafat Civic Centre, and at the Heroes' Monument in Calarasi commune.

Giurgiu
Military and religious ceremonies, and the parade of military detachments in Tricolor Square, were the main activities in Giurgiu, with representatives from the Ruse District, Bulgaria, as well as the director of the Danubius Association Giurgiu-Ruse and Giurgiu County's honorary citizen, Lili Ganceva, attending.

Photo credit: IJJ Giurgiu

The events began with the National Anthem performed by the Ion Vinea Cultural Centre brass band, wreath-laying at the Heroes' Monument, followed by a religious ceremony at the Heroes' Church in Giurgiu and the parade of military detachments in Tricolor Square.

'It is a day of gratitude and unity, a day to reflect on our ancestors, their courage, wisdom and faith, which made the Great Union possible (...). Let us be united not only in words, but also in deeds!' declared Giurgiu County Prefect Ion Ghimpeteanu in Tricolor Square.

Giurgiu County Council President Toma Petcu also expressed his emotion at attending the event.

''I believe that what defines each of us is our nationality, faith, culture and, above all, the heritage we leave behind,' said Petcu.

Giurgiu Deputy Mayor Ionel Muscalu recalled the local history linked to the Great Union.

'Professor and cultural figure Nicolae Droc Barcian was delegated to the Great Union representing this community with dignity and wisdom. Through him, Giurgiu was present at the Great Assembly in Alba Iulia 107 years ago, when the Romanian nation completed its unity,' Muscalu said.

Firefighters participating in missions to extinguish fires, with their protective equipment, and SMURD paramedics trained in providing qualified first aid, also marched. Firefighting vehicles were part of the parade.

SMURD ambulances and tracked vehicles for difficult access areas, the paramedics, five local divers and the boat used for aquatic search-and-rescue missions, all took part in the parade.

A platoon of 15 police officers, led by an officer, also marched in the Tricolor Square.

Olt
Thousands attended the National Day celebrations in Slatina and Caracal. In Slatina, over 1,000 people attended the military and religious ceremony organised by the Olt Prefecture and Slatina Garrison on Alexandru Ioan Cuza Boulevard, near the ruler's statue.

'Today we celebrate the most important day in the history of the Romanian nation, a moment to reflect on the values that have united us and should continue to guide us: 1 December 1918, the day that established the unanimous union of Romanians from Transylvania, Banat, Crisana, Maramures and Mother Romania within the same national state, Greater Romania,' said Prefect Cosmin Floreanu.

Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu, present at the ceremony, highlighted the significance of the event.

'I hope that all Romanian farmers continue to work the land, that we have Romanian food and that this day is full of strength. God help us! Happy National Day!' Barbu said.

Photo credit: Cristina Matei / AGERPRES

In Slatina, the City Hall offered 2,500 portions of bean stew with sausages in Youth Park, where the festivities continued with the inauguration of the festive lighting and a concert by Gasca Zurli.

In Caracal, over 2,000 attended the military and religious ceremony at the Heroes' Monument, with representatives of local authorities, military units and NATO partners from Caracal Garrison present.

'Caracal has a rich cultural and historical heritage that we carry forward with pride. We are a city of hardworking, talented people with an open spirit and a constant desire to build something lasting for future generations. (...) Today, at this great national celebration, we have alongside us soldiers from NATO member countries stationed in Caracal and Deveselu, who share with us the joy of this celebration, and I thank them for their participation and support,' said Caracal Mayor Ion Doldurea in a Facebook post.

Vaslui
Over 1,000 people attended National Day celebrations in Vaslui. The events began with the National Anthem and a religious service led by a group of priests headed by Vaslui Protopope Adrian Chirvasa, followed by speeches from officials.

'The strength of a nation lies in its solidarity, in the courage of communities, in the dignity of people who never give up. 1 December is a day of celebration, but also one that calls for reflection, gratitude and deep respect for those who, through sacrifice and wisdom, laid the foundations of the modern Romanian state. We, in Vaslui County, a land full of history, struggle and faith, carry the same responsibility to continue devoted work for the benefit of our community and Romania's prestige,' said Vaslui County Council President Ciprian Trifan.

Photo credit: Loredana Ciobanu / AGERPRES

Vaslui Prefect Eduard Popica emphasised that it is a day to look back with respect and forward with responsibility.

'Our role is to continue this construction. To maintain unity, promote dialogue, support community development and leave future generations a dignified, modern and strong Romania. Regardless of challenges, let us not forget that a nation's strength lies in the solidarity of its people,' Prefect Popica said.

Wreath-laying took place at the statue of ruler Stefan cel Mare in Vaslui Civic Centre Square, followed by an Honour Guard parade. After the torchlight procession, the festive lighting was inaugurated, complemented by a performance from the Rapsodia Vasluiului Orchestra and singer Aurel Moldoveanu.

Covasna
Several hundred people attended the celebrations in Sfantu Gheorghe, Covasna, and Intorsura Buzaului for Romania's National Day.

In Sfantu Gheorghe, the festivities took place, as tradition, in front of the Mihai Viteazul statue, with religious ceremonies, wreath-laying and a military parade.

Covasna Prefect Raduly Istvan said Romania's National Day is a moment to reflect on the nation's fundamental values, such as freedom, unity and solidarity, and an opportunity to celebrate Romania's cultural diversity and strengthen ties between ethnic communities.

'We enjoy constant collaboration between all our communities, and this spirit of unity must be the example we follow, not only in daily life but also in the wider political and economic context. At the same time, we must emphasise that only through unity and cooperation can we build a stronger country; every step forward, every progress we make in securing a better future depends solely on our will,' Prefect Raduly Istvan said to participants.

In Sfantu Gheorghe Central Square, an exhibition of traditional Romanian costumes was organised, along with a concert featuring multiple local artists, choirs and ensembles, including Cornelia and Lupu Rednic, 'Voinestenii', 'Padurenii', 'Ceata Opincuta', 'Junii Covasneni' and 'Speranta'.

The Prefecture façade was draped with a huge tricolour flag, and the city logo #SEPSI was decorated with images from the Great National Assembly held on 1 December 1918 in Alba Iulia.

Photo credit: Institutia Prefectului Covasna / Facebook

'We have lived here together for generations, and our shared values must unite us, not divide us. Our common challenges are demographic decline, social inequalities between regions, and lack of equitable investment - realities which, if ignored, create tensions and weaken society, raising the tide of extremism and anti-Hungarian sentiment. We are building our future here, together. We want a Romania where no community is treated as a minority in rights, and respect for everyone's identity is a daily reality,' wrote Sfantu Gheorghe Mayor Antal Arpad, who is also UDMR's strategic director, on Facebook.

National Day events in Covasna County began a week earlier and included exhibitions, traditional gatherings, theatre and folk performances, Christmas carol concerts, and more. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Tina Dumitrescu, Maria Mitrica, Camelia Bigan, Cristina Matei, Loredana Ciobanu, Oana Malina Negrea; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)