On the occasion of celebrating the 9th of January - the Day of the Republic of Srpska, an official ceremonial parade was held in Banja Luka. More than 2,700 members of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Srpska and representatives of the public and civil sectors participated.

The parade was held under the slogan "The Home shall Live" and the central ceremony took place at Krajina Square in Banja Luka. It was attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Republic of Srpska Nenad Stevandić, Prime Minister of Republic of Srpska Savo Minič, Serb Member of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović, President of the SNSD Milorad Dodik, Acting President of Republic of Srpska Ana Trišić Babić and the ministers in the governments of Republic of Srpska and Serbia.

In attendance were also representatives of the diplomatic corps, former Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojević, Serbian representatives in joint institutions of BiH and , as well as numerous representatives of public, social and political life of Republika Srpska, Serbia and the region, and many citizens.

The ceremonial parade featured 14 echelons of the Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior and 11 motorized echelons.

The ceremonial parade is a symbol of unity, structure and strength of the Republic of Srpska and is the central event of the festivities marking its most important holiday.

The 9th of January is marked as the Day of the Republic of Srpska which was established on that date in 1992 under the original name of the Republic of the Serbian People in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was founded by Serbian deputies in the then Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina after they were outvoted on key issues regarding the survival of Yugoslavia, while members of the other two peoples seceded against the will of the Serbian people, who had the status of a constituent people.

The name the Republic of the Serbian People in Bosnia and Herzegovina was in use until February 28, 1992 and the proclamation of the first Constitution, when it was replaced by the name Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was used until August 12, 1992. That name was replaced in September 1992 with the current name - the Republika Srpska.