National day

This article is about celebrations of nationhood. For holidays with names like "National Item Day", see Lists of holidays.

  Independence-related national day
  Unification/revolution-related national day
  Other reasons for national day
  No official national day

A national day is a day on which celebrations mark the statehood or nationhood of a state or its people. It may be the date of independence, of becoming a republic, of becoming a federation, or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler (such as a birthday, accession, or removal).

The national day is often an official public holiday. Many countries have more than one national day. Denmark and the United Kingdom are the only countries without a national day. Denmark has what is not a public holiday but an unofficial celebration called Constitution Day.[1] National days emerged with the age of nationalism, with most appearing during the 19th and 20th centuries.[2]

National day may also be known as Independence Day, Liberation Day, or Republic Day, depending on the nation and its history.

  1. ^ Fisher, Max (26 February 2013). "A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries have no national day)". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  2. ^ Elgenius, Gabriella (2019). "National Days in Nation Building: Similarities and differences". Symbols of nations and nationalism : celebrating nationhood. Basingstoke, Hampshire. pp. 94–132. ISBN 9781349590476.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)