National day

designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a nation

National days are the days which are very special and important for a nation. A National day is a special day where people celebrate their country or nation each year. Most countries have national days and they are usually a national holiday, where people don't go to work or school. In many countries which used to be colonies, the national day is known as Independence Day because it remembers the day they became independent from their old empire. In other countries like China, the national day remembers when the old government of the country changed to the new one. In the past, the king or emperor's birthdays were often treated as a kind of national day.

Most countries have only one national day each year but some (like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan) have more than one. The different parts of the United Kingdom used to be separate independent nations and still have national days, but the UK does not have one holiday for the whole country apart from the Queen's Official Birthday. (This isn't her real birthday or an official holiday, but a special Saturday to remember her when people are usually already off work anyway.) Denmark is another country that has no official national day.

List of national days

  Independence-related national day
  Unification or revolution-related national day
  Other reasons for national day
  No official national day
Contents:A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
See also

A

B

C

D

E

  • East Timor 20 May (Independence from Indonesia in 2002)
  • Ecuador 10 August (Proclamation of independence from Spain 1809)
  • Egypt 23 July (Revolution Day, the revolution of 1952), 6 October (Armed Forces Day, the beginning of the October War 1973)
  • El Salvador 15 September (Independence from Spain 1821)
  • England, United Kingdom 23 April (St George's Day, patron saint of England, not a bank holiday)
  • Equatorial Guinea 12 October (Independence from Spain 1968)
  • Eritrea 24 May (Eritrean rebels enter the capital Asmara 1991; independence from Ethiopia 1993)
  • Estonia 24 February (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the Russia 1918)
  • Ethiopia 28 May (Downfall of the Derg Day, the Derg regime is defeated 1991)

F

  • Falkland Islands, United Kingdom 14 June (Liberation Day, the end of the Falklands War 1982)
  • Faroe Islands (Denmark) 29 July (Ólavsøka (Saint Olaf's death at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030): opening of the Løgting (parliament) session)
  • Fiji 10 October (Fiji Day, independence from the United Kingdom 1970)
  • Finland 6 December (Independence Day, declaration of independence from Russia 1917)
  • France 14 July (Fête de la Fédération, 14 July 1790)
  • French Guyana (France) 14 July (Fête de la Fédération), 20 December Abolition of slavery day

G

H

I

J

  • Jamaica 1st Monday in August (Independence from the United Kingdom 6 August 1962)
  • Japan 11 February (National Foundation Day, Jimmu, the first emperor, is crowned in year 660 BC)
  • Jersey, British Islands 9 May (Liberation Day, the end of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II 1945)
  • Jordan 25 May (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1946; the parliament of Transjordan makes Abdullah I of Jordan their king 1946)

K

  • Kazakhstan 25 October (Republic Day, declared sovereign republic within the USSR 1990)
  • Kenya 12 December (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1963; Republic Day, (Jamhuri Day), 1964)
  • Kiribati 12 July (Independence from the United Kingdom in 1979)
  • North Korea 15 August (liberation from Japanese rule, 1945) 9 September (declaration of the North Korean State, 1948)
  • South Korea 15 August (both the liberation from Japanese rule, 1945 (Gwangbokjeol) and the declaration of the South Korean state, 1948), 3 October (Gaecheonjeol, the ancient Korea founded in 2333 BC), 1 March (declaration of independence of modern Korea and the March 1st movement, 1919)
  • Kurdistan 21 March (Nawroz, Kurdish New Year celebrated on the Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox)
  • Kuwait 25 February (Kuwait National Day) (26 February is Liberation Day, from Iraq 1991)
  • Kyrgyzstan 31 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the USSR in 1991)
  • Kosovo 17 February (see 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence)

L

  • Laos 2 December (Lao National Day, people's republic declared 1975)
  • Latvia 18 November (Declaration of independence from Russia 1918)
  • Lebanon 22 November (Independence from France 1943), 25 May (Resistance and Liberation Day from Israel 2000)
  • Lesotho 4 October (Independence from the United Kingdom 1966)
  • Liberia 26 July (Proclamation of the Republic: independence from the United States 1847)
  • Libya 17 February (The revolution against El-Gazafi)
  • Liechtenstein 15 August (The Hereditary Prince becomes Regent 2004)
  • Lithuania 16 February (Lithuanian State Reestablishment Day, declaration of independence from Russia and Germany 1918); 6 July (Statehood Day, establishment of the medieval Lithuanian kingdom by Mindaugas in 1253.)
  • Luxembourg 23 June (the Monarch's birthday)

M

  • Macau 20 December (Transfer of sovereignty to the PRC 1999) 1 October (National Day of the People's Republic of China)
  • Macedonia 8 September (Den na nezavisnosta or Ден на независноста, declaration of independence from Yugoslavia 1991)
  • Madagascar 26 June (Independence from France 1960)
  • Madeira Day 1 July (Autonomy from Portugal)
  • Malawi 6 July (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom 1964; and Republic Day 1966)
  • Malaysia 31 August (Hari Merdeka, independence (within the Commonwealth) from the United Kingdom 1957) and 16 September (Malaysia Day, the formation of Malaysia)
  • Maldives 1st of Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar
  • Mali 22 September (Independence from the Mali Federation 1960)
  • Malta 31 March (Freedom Day, withdrawal of British troops from Malta 1979), 7 June (Sette Giugno, bread riot of 1919 where 4 Maltese men died), 8 September (Victory Day, victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Great Siege of Malta 1565; Italian government publicly announced agreement to an armistice with the WWII Allies, therefore ending the attacks on Malta by the Italians 1943) 21 September (Independence Day, independence from the United Kingdom 1964), 13 December (Republic Day, republican constitution of 1974, therefore becoming a republic).
  • Marshall Islands 1 May (Constitution Day, 1979)
  • Martinique, France 14 July (Bastille Day), 22 May Abolition of slavery day (regional only)[3]
  • Mauritania 28 November (Independence Day, from France 1960)
  • Mauritius 12 March (Independence Day, independence from the United Kingdom 1968, republic 1992)
  • Mayotte France 14 July (Bastille Day), 27 April Abolition of slavery day (regional only)[3]
  • Mexico 16 September (Grito de Dolores, declaration of independence from Spain 1810)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of 3 November (Independence Day, from the US-administered UN Trusteeship 1979)
  • Minorca, Spain 17 January (Alfonso III of Aragon took the island from Muslims, 1287)
  • Moldova 27 August (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union 1991)
  • Monaco 19 November (the levée of Prince Albert II 2005)
  • Mongolia 11 July (Naadam Holiday, declaration of independence from China 1921; however, Naadam is also celebrated in China by both Han Chinese and Mongols without political attachments)
  • Montenegro 13 July (recognised as independent at the Congress of Berlin 1878), 21 May (independence on the referendum in 2006)
  • Montserrat, United Kingdom 2nd Saturday in June
  • Morocco 2 March (Independence from France 1956)
  • Mozambique 25 June (Independence from Portugal 1975)
  • Myanmar 10th day following the full moon of the month of Tazaungmone (beginning of Student led protests against British colonial government in 1920), in late November or December

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

  • Vanuatu 30 July (Independence Day, from the United Kingdom and France 1980)
  • Vatican City 24 April (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope 2005)
  • Venezuela 5 July (Independence Day, declaration of independence from Spain 1811)
  • Vietnam 2 September (National Day, declaration of independence from France and Japan 1945)

W

Y

  • Yemen 22 May (Unity Day/National Day, North and South Yemen are unified as the Republic of Yemen 1990)

Z

  • Zambia 24 October (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the United Kingdom 1964)
  • Zimbabwe 18 April (Independence Day, declaration of independence from the United Kingdom 1980; it had previously declared independence as Rhodesia in 1965)

Related pages

References