National Day facts for kids

In countries with a monarchy (like Sweden), the leader often rides through the streets to greet people on National Day.

A National Day is a special day when the people of a country celebrate their nation. It's usually a public holiday, meaning most people get the day off from school or work. It's a time for everyone to feel proud of their country's history and culture.

Most countries celebrate their National Day on the date they became independent or when a new government started. Some countries, like India and Pakistan, have more than one National Day each year. Interestingly, a few countries, such as Denmark and the United Kingdom, don't have one official National Day.

What is a National Day?
Why Do Countries Celebrate?
Countries Without a National Day
List of National Days Around the World
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- Y
- Z
Images for kids
See also

What is a National Day?

A National Day is like a country's birthday! It's a day to remember important events that shaped the nation. This could be when they gained freedom from another country. Or it might be when they formed their own government. It's a time for parades, special events, and showing national pride.

Why Do Countries Celebrate?

Countries celebrate their National Day for many reasons. It helps people remember their shared history. It also brings everyone together to celebrate their identity. These celebrations often include flags, music, and traditional foods. It's a way to honor the past and look forward to the future.

Countries Without a National Day

Not every country has a single, official National Day. For example, the United Kingdom doesn't have one. Instead, its different parts, like England and Scotland, celebrate their own special days. These are often linked to their patron saints.

List of National Days Around the World

Independence-related National Day Revolution or Unification-related National Day No official National Day

This list shows when countries celebrate their special days. It also explains why they celebrate.

A

Afghanistan 19 August (Gained independence in 1919)
Albania 28 November (Declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912)
Algeria 1 November (Start of the War of Independence in 1954)
Andorra 8 September (Day of their patron saint, Our Lady of Meritxell)
Angola 11 November (Gained independence from Portugal in 1975)
Antigua and Barbuda 1 November (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981)
Argentina 25 May (First government formed in 1810) and 9 July (Declared independence from Spain in 1816)
Armenia 28 May (Became a republic in 1918)
Australia 26 January (Australia Day, marking the first European settlement in 1788)
Austria 26 October (Declared itself neutral in 1955)
Azerbaijan 28 May (Became a republic in 1918)

B

Bahamas 10 July (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1973)
Bahrain 16 December (Accession Day for a former leader)
Bangladesh 26 March (Declared independence from Pakistan in 1971); 16 December (Victory Day, marking the end of their war in 1971)
Barbados 30 November (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966)
Belarus 3 July (Independence Day, marking the liberation of Minsk in 1944)
Belgium 21 July (Their first king took his oath in 1831)
Belize 10 September, 21 September (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1981)
Benin 1 August (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Bhutan 17 December (Their first hereditary king was elected in 1907)
Bolivia 6 August (Declared independence from Spain in 1825)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 March (Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992)
Botswana 30 September (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966)
Brazil 7 September (Declared independence from Portugal in 1822)
Brunei 23 February
Bulgaria 3 March (Gained autonomy within the Ottoman Empire in 1878)
Burkina Faso 4 August (Changed its name in 1984) (Independence Day is 5 August)
Burundi 1 July (Gained independence from Belgium in 1962)

C

Cambodia 9 November (Gained independence from France in 1953)
Cameroon 20 May (Became a unitary state in 1972)
Canada 1 July (Canada Day, when four provinces formed a confederation in 1867)
Central African Republic 1 December (Became an autonomous territory in 1958)
Chad 11 August (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Chile 18 September (First government junta created in 1810)
People's Republic of China 1 October (Proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949)
Republic of China 10 October (Outbreak of the uprising that led to the republic's founding in 1911)
Colombia 20 July (Declared independence from Spain in 1810)
Comoros 6 July (Gained independence from France in 1975)
Costa Rica 15 September (Gained independence from Spain in 1821)
Côte d'Ivoire 7 August (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Croatia 25 June (Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991)
Cuba 1 January (Fidel Castro took power in 1959)
Cyprus 1 October (Independence Day in 1960)
Czech Republic 28 October (Gained independence from Austria-Hungary as Czechoslovakia in 1918)

D

Democratic Republic of Congo 30 June (Gained independence from Belgium in 1960)
Djibouti 27 June (Gained independence from France in 1977)
Dominica 3 November (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978)
Dominican Republic 27 February (Gained independence from Haiti in 1844), 16 August (Restoration Day, independence from Spain in 1865)

E

East Timor 20 May (Gained independence from Indonesia in 2002)
Ecuador 10 August (Declared independence from Spain in 1809)
Egypt 23 July (Revolution Day, marking the revolution of 1952)
El Salvador 15 September (Gained independence from Spain in 1821)
Equatorial Guinea 12 October (Gained independence from Spain in 1968)
Eritrea 24 May (Eritrean rebels entered the capital in 1991; independence from Ethiopia in 1993)
Estonia 24 February (Declared independence from Russia in 1918)
Ethiopia 28 May (Marking the defeat of the Derg regime in 1991)

F

Fiji 10 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1970)
Finland 6 December (Declared independence from Russia in 1917)
France 14 July (Bastille Day, marking the French Revolution)

G

Gabon 17 August (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Gambia 18 February (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965)
Georgia 26 May (Day of First Republic, declared independence from Russia in 1918)
Germany 3 October (German Unity Day, marking the unification of West and East Germany in 1990)
Ghana 6 March (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957)
Greece 25 March (Declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821)
Grenada 7 February (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1974)
Guatemala 15 September (Gained independence from Spain in 1821)
Guinea 3 April (Gained independence from France in 1958)
Guinea-Bissau 24 September (Declared independence from Portugal in 1973)
Guyana 23 February (Became a republic in 1970)

H

Haiti 1 January (Declared independence from France in 1804)
Honduras 15 September (Gained independence from Spain in 1821)
Hungary 15 March (1848 Revolution memorial day), 20 August (St. Stephen's day), 23 October (1956 Revolution memorial day)

I

Iceland 17 June (Became a republic and separated from Denmark in 1944)
India 26 January (Republic Day, became a republic in 1950), 15 August (Independence Day, from the British Empire in 1947)
Indonesia 17 August (Proclaimed independence from Japan and the Netherlands in 1945)
Iran 11 February (Victory of the Islamic Revolution)
Iraq 3 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1932)
Ireland 17 March (St. Patrick's Day, their patron saint)
Israel around 14 May (Proclaimed independence from the British Mandate in 1948)
Italy 2 June (Became a republic in 1946)

J

Jamaica 1st Monday in August (Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962)
Japan 11 February (National Foundation Day, marking the crowning of the first emperor in 660 BC)
Jordan 25 May (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1946)

K

Kazakhstan 25 October (Declared a sovereign republic in 1990)
Kenya 12 December (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1963)
Kiribati 12 July (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979)
North Korea 15 August (Liberation from Japanese rule in 1945), 9 September (Declaration of the North Korean State in 1948)
South Korea 15 August (Liberation from Japanese rule in 1945 and declaration of the South Korean state in 1948)
Kuwait 25 February (National Day)
Kyrgyzstan 31 August (Declared independence from the USSR in 1991)
Kosovo 17 February (Declared independence in 2008)

L

Laos 2 December (Became a people's republic in 1975)
Latvia 18 November (Declared independence from Russia in 1918)
Lebanon 22 November (Gained independence from France in 1943)
Lesotho 4 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966)
Liberia 26 July (Proclaimed independence from the United States in 1847)
Libya 17 February (Revolution against El-Gaddafi)
Liechtenstein 15 August (The Hereditary Prince became Regent in 2004)
Lithuania 16 February (Declared independence from Russia and Germany in 1918)
Luxembourg 23 June (The Monarch's official birthday)

M

Macedonia 8 September (Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991)
Madagascar 26 June (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Malawi 6 July (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964)
Malaysia 31 August (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957) and 16 September (Formation of Malaysia)
Maldives 1st of Rabi' al-awwal (Islamic calendar)
Mali 22 September (Gained independence from the Mali Federation in 1960)
Malta 21 September (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964)
Marshall Islands 1 May (Constitution Day in 1979)
Mauritania 28 November (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Mauritius 12 March (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968)
Mexico 16 September (Declared independence from Spain in 1810)
Micronesia, Federated States of 3 November (Gained independence from US trusteeship in 1979)
Moldova 27 August (Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991)
Monaco 19 November (Prince Albert II's accession to the throne in 2005)
Mongolia 11 July (Declared independence from China in 1921)
Montenegro 13 July (Recognized as independent in 1878)
Morocco 2 March (Gained independence from France in 1956)
Mozambique 25 June (Gained independence from Portugal in 1975)

N

Namibia 21 March (Gained independence from South African rule in 1990)
Nauru 31 January (Gained independence in 1968)
Nepal 28 May (Became a federal republic in 2008)
Netherlands 5 May (Liberation Day from Nazi Germany in 1945)
New Zealand 6 February (Waitangi Day, signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840)
Nicaragua 15 September (Gained independence from Spain in 1821)
Niger 18 December (Became an autonomous state in 1958)
Nigeria 1 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960)
Norway 17 May (Constitution Day, signing of the first Norwegian Constitution in 1814)

O

Oman 18 November (Birthday of Sultan Qaboos bin Said)

P

Pakistan 23 March (Pakistan Resolution passed in 1940), 14 August (Independence Day from the British Empire in 1947)
Palau 9 July (Constitution Day in 1981)
Panama 3 November (Declared independence from Colombia in 1903)
Papua New Guinea 16 September (Gained independence from Australia in 1975)
Paraguay 14 May (Declared independence from Spain in 1811)
Peru 28 July (Declared independence from Spain in 1821)
Philippines 12 June (Declared independence from Spain in 1898)
Poland 3 May (Constitution Day, 1791), 11 November (Independence Day, restoration of independence in 1918)
Portugal 10 June (Day of Camões, a national poet)

Q

Qatar 18 December (Official National Day, marking the assumption of power of Sheikh Jassem bin Mohamed al-Thani in 1878)

R

Republic of the Congo 15 August (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Romania 1 December (Union Day, unification with Transylvania in 1918)
Russian Federation 12 June (Russia Day, declaration of sovereignty in 1990)
Rwanda 1 July (Gained independence from Belgium in 1962)

S

St Kitts and Nevis 19 September (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1983)
St Lucia 13 December (National Day, gained independence from United Kingdom in 1979)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27 October (Gained independence from United Kingdom in 1979)
Samoa 1 June
San Marino 3 September (Gained independence from the Roman Empire in 301 AD)
São Tomé and Príncipe 12 July (Gained independence from Portugal in 1975)
Saudi Arabia 23 September (Unification of the kingdoms in 1932)
Senegal 4 April (Gained independence from France in 1960)
Serbia 15 February (Beginning of the Serbian revolution against Ottoman rule in 1804)
Seychelles 18 June (National Day)
Sierra Leone 27 April (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961)
Singapore 9 August (Gained independence from Malaysia in 1965)
Slovakia 1 September (Constitution Day, independence from Czechoslovakia in 1993)
Slovenia 25 June (Declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991)
Solomon Islands 7 July (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978)
Somalia 1 July (Foundation of the Republic in 1960)
South Africa 27 April (First democratic general election in 1994)
South Sudan 9 July (Gained independence from Sudan in 2011)
Spain 12 October (Columbus's discovery of America in 1492)
Sri Lanka 4 February (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1948)
Sudan 1 January (Gained independence from the United Kingdom and Egypt in 1956)
Suriname 25 November (Gained independence from the Netherlands in 1975)
Swaziland 6 September (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968)
Sweden 6 June (Gustav Vasa was elected King in 1523)
Switzerland 1 August (Alliance against the Holy Roman Empire in 1291)
Syria 17 April (Evacuation Day, from France in 1946)

T

Tajikistan 9 September (Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991)
Tanzania 9 December (Independence Day in 1961)
Thailand 5 December (Birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej)
Togo 27 April (Gained independence from French trusteeship in 1960)
Tonga 4 June (Emancipation Day, abolition of serfdom in 1862)
Trinidad and Tobago 31 August (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962)
Tunisia 20 March (Declared independence from France in 1956)
Turkey 29 October (Republic Day, republican constitution in 1923)
Turkmenistan 27 October (Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991)
Tuvalu 1 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978)

U

Uganda 9 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962)
Ukraine 24 August (Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991)
United Arab Emirates 2 December (Formation of the federation and independence from the United Kingdom in 1971)
United States 4 July (Independence Day, declared independence from Great Britain in 1776)
Uruguay 25 August (Declared independence from Portugal in 1825)
Uzbekistan 1 September (Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991)

V

Vanuatu 30 July (Gained independence from the United Kingdom and France in 1980)
Vatican City 24 April (The Pope's inauguration day)
Venezuela 5 July (Declared independence from Spain in 1811)
Vietnam 2 September (Declared independence from France and Japan in 1945)

Y

Yemen 22 May (Unity Day, North and South Yemen unified in 1990)

Z

Zambia 24 October (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964)
Zimbabwe 18 April (Gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980)

Images for kids

In monarchies (such as in Sweden, 6 June 2013) the head of state will often ride through the streets and greet citizens on National Day.
Independence-related National Day Revolution or Unification-related National Day No official National Day