National Day
|
|
The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a country. Often the National Day will be a national holiday. Most countries have a single National Day per year, though a few, for example Pakistan, have more than one. The National Day is often taken as the date on which a state or territory achieved independence. Other dates such as the country's patron saint day, or a significant historic date are sometimes used.
The importance attached to the National Day, and the degree to which it is celebrated, vary enormously from country to country. In France, for example, National Day is 14 July and is known as Bastille Day. It is widely celebrated and the French Tricolour is much in evidence, while the President of the Republic attends a military parade on the Champs-Élysées of Paris. In the United States, the Fourth of July celebrations are widely celebrated with fireworks and BBQs. However, in the United Kingdom the National Days of the constituent countries are low-key affairs with little or no flag flying. This situation has come about due to a lack of a patron saint for all of the UK, and the desire not to offend minority groups by the use of nationalistic symbols. Nevertheless, in recent times campaigns have commenced to promote the National Days of England, Scotland and Wales, though this may to some extent be driven by commercial interests. The National Day of the United Kingdom as a whole (and some of its overseas territories) is associated with the Queen's Official Birthday, marked in London by the Trooping the Colour ceremony, and is usually held on the 2nd Saturday in June.
Most countries have a fixed date National Day, but some have movable dates. An example here is Jamaica, which celebrates its National Day on the first Monday in August. This commemorates independence from Britain which was attained on Monday, 6 August 1962 - the first Monday in August of that year. A few countries have a variable date National Day. Thailand, for instance, celebrates the birthday of the King on 5 December. This date will change on the accession of the heir to the throne.
List of National Days
- Afghanistan 19 August
- Albania 28 November
- Alderney 9 May
- Algeria 1 November
- American Samoa 17 April
- Andorra 8 September
- Angola 11 November
- Anguilla 30 May
- Antigua and Barbuda 1 November
- Argentina 25 May
- Armenia 28 May
- Aruba 18 March
- Assyria 1 april
- Australia 26 January
- Austria 26 October
- Azerbaijan 28 May
- Bahrain 16 December
- Bahamas 10 July
- Bangladesh 26 March
- Barbados 30 November
- Belarus 3 July
- Belgium 21 July
- Belize 10 September and 21 September
- Benin 1 August
- Bermuda 24 May
- Bhutan 17 December
- Bolivia 6 August
- Bosnia-Hercegovina 1 March
- Botswana 30 September
- Brazil 7 September
- British Virgin Islands 1 July
- Brunei 23 February
- Bulgaria 3 March
- Burkina Faso 4 August
- Burma (Myanmar) 4 January
- Burundi 1 July
- Cambodia 9 November
- Cameroon 20 May
- Canada 1 July
- Cape Verde September 12
- Catalonia September 11
- Cayman Islands 1st Monday in July
- Central African Republic 1 December
- Chad 11 August
- Chile 18 September
- People's Republic of China 1 October
- Colombia 20 July
- Comoros 6 July
- Cook Islands 4 August
- Costa Rica 15 September
- Côte d'Ivoire 7 August
- Croatia 30 May
- Cuba 1 January
- Cyprus 1 October
- Czech Republic 28 October
- Democratic Republic of Congo 30 June
- Denmark 5 June
- Djibouti 27 June
- Dominica 3 November
- Dominican Republic 27 February
- East Timor 20 May
- Ecuador 10 August
- Egypt 23 July
- El Salvador 15 September
- England 23 April
- Equatorial Guinea 12 October
- Eritrea 24 May
- Estonia 24 February
- Ethiopia 28 May
- Falkland Islands 14 June
- Faroe Islands 16 April
- Fiji 10 October
- Finland 6 December
- France 14 July
- French Guyana 14 July
- French Polynesia 14 July
- Republic of Macedonia 8 September
- Gabon 17 August
- Gambia 18 February
- Georgia 26 May
- Germany 3 October
- Ghana 6 March
- Gibraltar 2nd Monday in March
- Greece 25 March
- Greenland 21 June
- Grenada 7 February
- Guadeloupe 14 July
- Guam 21 July
- Guatemala 15 September
- Guernsey and Dependencies 9 May
- Guinea 3 April
- Guinea-Bissau 24 September
- Guyana 23 February
- Haiti 1 January
- Herm 9 May
- Honduras 15 September
- Hong Kong 1 July and 1 October
- Hungary 15 March 20 August 23 October
- Iceland 17 June
- India 26 January 15 August
- Indonesia 17 August
- Iran 1 April
- Iraq 17 July
- Republic of Ireland 17 March
- Isle of Man 5 July
- Israel 14 May
- Italy 2 June
- Jamaica 1st Monday in August
- Japan 11 February
- Jersey 9 May
- Jordan 25 May
- Kazakhstan 25 October
- Kenya 12 December
- Kiribati 12 July
- Kuwait 25 February
- Kyrgyzstan 30 August
- Laos 2 December
- Latvia 18 November
- Lebanon 22 November
- Lesotho 4 October
- Liberia 26 July
- Libya 1 September
- Liechtenstein 15 August
- Lithuania 16 February
- Luxembourg 23 June
- Macao 20 December and 1 October
- Madagascar 26 June
- Malawi 6 July
- Malaysia 31 August
- Maldives 26 July
- Mali 22 September
- Malta 21 September
- Marshall Islands 1 May
- Martinique 14 July
- Mauritania 28 November
- Mauritius 12 March
- Mayotte 14 July
- Mexico 16 September
- Micronesia 10 May
- Moldova 27 August
- Monaco 19 November
- Mongolia 11 July
- Montenegro 28 June
- Montserrat 2nd Saturday in June
- Morocco 2 March
- Mozambique 25 June
- Namibia 21 March
- Nauru 31 January
- Nepal 18 February 28 December
- Netherlands Antilles 30 April
- Netherlands 30 April
- New Caledonia 14 July
- New Zealand 6 February
- Nicaragua 15 September
- Niger 18 December
- Nigeria 1 October
- Niue 6 February
- Norfolk Island 8 June
- North Korea 8 September
- Northern Mariana Islands 8 January
- Norway 17 May
- Oman 18 November
- Pakistan 23 March (Republic Day), 14 August (Independence Day)
- Palau 9 July
- Panama 3 November
- Papua New Guinea 16 September
- Paraguay 14 May
- Peru 28 July
- Philippines 12 June
- Pitcairn Islands 2nd Saturday in June
- Poland 3 May
- Portugal 10 June
- Puerto Rico 4 July
- Qatar 3 September
- Quebec 24 June
- Republic of the Congo 15 August
- Republic of Yemen 22 May
- Réunion 14 July
- Romania 1 December
- Russia 12 June
- Rwanda 1 July
- Samoa 1 June
- San Marino 3 September
- São Tomé and Príncipe 12 July
- Sark 9 May
- Saudi Arabia 23 September
- Scotland 30 November
- Senegal 4 April
- Serbia 15 February
- Seychelles 18 June
- Sierra Leone 27 April
- Singapore 9 August
- Slovakia 29 August 1 September
- Slovenia 25 June
- Solomon Islands 7 July
- Somalia 21 October
- South Africa 27 April
- South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands 14 June
- South Korea 15 August
- Spain 12 October
- Sri Lanka 4 February
- St Helena 2nd Saturday in June
- St Kitts and Nevis 19 September
- St Lucia 22 February
- St Pierre and Miquelon 14 July
- St Vincent and the Grenadines 27 October
- Sudan 1 January
- Suriname 25 November
- Swaziland 6 September
- Sweden 6 June
- Switzerland 1 August
- Syria 17 April
- Republic of China (Taiwan) 10 October
- Tajikistan 9 September
- Tanzania 26 April
- Thailand 5 December
- Togo 27 April
- Tonga 4 June
- Trinidad and Tobago 31 August
- Tunisia 20 March
- Turkey 29 October
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 15 November
- Turkmenistan 27 October
- Turks and Caicos Islands 30 August
- Tuvalu 1 October
- Uganda 9 October
- Ukraine 24 August
- United Arab Emirates 2 December
- United Kingdom 2nd Saturday in June (can vary)
- United States of America 4 July
- Uruguay 25 August
- Uzbekistan 1 September
- Vanuatu 30 July
- Vatican City 22 October
- Venezuela 5 July
- Vietnam 2 September
- Virgin Islands (US) 31 March
- Wales 1 March
- Yugoslavia 29 November
- Zambia 24 October
- Zimbabwe 18 April
See also
fr:Fête nationale nn:Nasjonaldag sv:Nationaldag ms:Hari Kebangsaan