Sirocco Marks Tenth Anniversary With Quiet Reflection

After ten years, Sirocco marks a major, and rare, micronational anniversary

Posted on Wednesday, 4 November 2020 in Sirocco

CELEBRATING A DECADE: Sirocco today celebrates the tenth anniversary of its founding in 2010, an event the Premier said could not have been imagined ten years ago.

Havilland, WE, November 4 · 20 Grable 75 – Sirocco’s tenth anniversary was observed today, however the expected celebrations and fanfare had to be curtailed in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Planning for the anniversary, which began earlier this year, initially expected a larger-scale celebration, however the effects of the pandemic meant that plans had to be scaled back.

The anniversary was welcomed with a midnight rendition of the national anthem, Manhattan Spiritual, as well as Shelter, the former anthem between 2010 and 2015.

Throughout the day, SBC National Radio played a selection of popular music to celebrate the occasion.

In a simple statement, the premier, Mr. Anderson, congratulated the nation on marking the anniversary, a rare one for micronations.

“Despite any number of challenges, particularly in the past year, Sirocco has endured and now has the distinction of entering its second decade,” he said.

“Few micronations live long enough to celebrate such a momentous anniversary, so for Sirocco to do so is a testament to our nation’s resolve and ability to adapt. There could be no way we could have expected in the year 2010 that our nation would still be here a full decade later.”

“I look forward to the next ten years with enthusiasm, and hope that we will be able to celebrate the arrival of another decade ten years from now, in 2030.”

The day was overshadowed to some extent by the presidential election in the United States, between incumbent President Donald Trump, and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. There has not been as yet a call as to the victor, with President Trump leading but many votes yet to be counted in the coming days.

A small celebratory dinner was held this evening, with toasts drunk to the past and future of the nation.

The Federal Commonwealth of Sirocco was founded in a simple ceremony on November 4, 2010 (20 Grable 65) as the successor to the former Glorious Dictatorial Republic. It rapidly gained influence in the burgeoning MicroWiki community, and in 2012 began to develop its now-famous 1950s-inspired culture.

The past five years have seen Sirocco’s influence wane, however occasional forays into current communication channels have found that many newer micronations established after Sirocco’s peak are aware of the nation and its impact.