Day of the Shining Star

Day of the Shining Star
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	광명성절
Hancha	光明星節
Revised Romanization	Gwangmyeongseongjeol[1]
McCune–Reischauer	Kwangmyŏngsŏng-jŏl
Equestrian statue with Kim Jong Il (right) and Kim Il Sung, revealed on the Day of the Shining Star
Observed by	North Korea
Significance	Birth of Kim Jong Il (1941/1942) (Juche 30/31)
Begins	16 February
Ends	17 February
Date	16 February
Frequency	Annual
First time	After being designated in 1982
Related to	Generalissimo Day (14 February),[1] Loyalty Festival (between 16 February and 15 April), Day of the Sun (15 April),[2] Day of Songun (25 August)[1]

The Day of the Shining Star (Korean: 광명성절; Hancha: 光明星節; MR: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-jŏl) is a public holiday in North Korea falling on 16 February, the anniversary of the birth of the country's second leader, Kim Jong Il. Along with the Day of the Sun, the birthday of his father Kim Il Sung, it is the most important public holiday in the country.^[3]

Kim Jong Il was born in 1941 (Juche 30) in the Soviet Union,^[4] although North Korean propaganda says the date is 16 February 1942 (Juche 31) and places the birth in the Mount Paektu area in Korea.^[4] His birthday became an official holiday in 1982 when he began his work in the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea. He celebrated his birthdays privately. In 2012, the year following his death, the holiday was renamed the Day of the Shining Star.

The most lavish observances occure in the capital, Pyongyang, and include mass gymnastics, music performances, fireworks displays, military demonstrations, and mass dancing parties. The North Korean people receive more food rations and electricity than usual on the Day of the Shining Star.^{[citation needed]}