National Days
National days: are annual holidays celebrated by a country to commemorate:
* a country’s independency day;
* a significant day in the country’s history;
* the birth of a national hero or the country’s monarch.
Many embassies and consulates will hold receptions and other special events to mark the occasion. It is appropriate for government officials and individuals, who work closely with a country celebrating its national day, to send a congratulatory letter.
Note: The national days of some countries vary from year to year. We have tried to indicate these with an asterisk. Consult that country’s embassy or consulate for the most current listing.
For a list of international days observed by the United Nations click here.
JANUARY
- 1 – Slovakia
- 1 – Haiti
- 1 – Sudan
- 4 – Burma
- 26 – Australia (Australia Day)
- 26 – India (Republic Day)
FEBRUARY
- 4 – Sri Lanka
- 6 – New Zealand (Waitangi Day)
- 7 – Grenada
- 15 – Serbia
- 16 – Lithuania
- 17 – Kosovo
- 18 – Gambia
- 22 – Saint Lucia
- 23 – Brunei
- 23 – Guyana (Republic Day)
- 24 – Estonia
- 25 – Kuwait
- 27 – Dominican Republic
MARCH
- 3 – Bulgaria
- 6 – Ghana
- 12 – Mauritius
- 13 – Holy See (Election Day of Pope Francis)
- 17 – Ireland (St. Patrick’s Day)
- 20 – Tunisia
- 21 – Namibia
- 23 – Pakistan (Republic Day)
- 25 – Greece
- 26 – Bangladesh
APRIL
- 4 – Senegal
- 16 – Denmark (Birthday of H.M. Queen Margrethe II)
- 17 – Syria
- 18 – Zimbabwe
- 26 – Tanzania (Union Day)
- 27 – Netherlands (King’s Day)
- 27 – Sierra Leone
- 27 – South Africa (Freedom Day)
- 27 – Togo
MAY
- 1 – Marshall Islands
- 3 – Poland (Constitution Day)
- 9 – European Union
- 9 – Israel* (Marks the date of formal establishment of Israel)
- 14 – Paraguay
- 17 – Norway (Constitution Day)
- 20 – Cameroon (Republic Day)
- 22 – Yemen (Unification Day)
- 24 – Eritrea
- 25 – Argentina (Revolution Day)
- 25 – Jordan
- 26 – Georgia
- 26 – Guyana
- 28 – Azerbaijan
- 28 – Ethiopia (Derg Downfall Day)
JUNE
- 1 – Samoa
- 2 – Italy (Republic Day)
- 4 – Tonga
- 5 – Denmark (Constitution Day)
- 6 – Sweden (Flag Day)
- 10 – Portugal (Portugal Day)
- 12 – Philippines
- 12 – Russia
- 17 – Iceland
- 18 – Seychelles
- 23 – Luxembourg (Birthday* of Grand Duke Henri)
- 25 – Croatia (Statehood Day)
- 25 – Mozambique
- 25 – Slovenia (Statehood Day)
- 26 – Madagascar
- 27 – Djibouti
- 30 – Democratic Republic of the Congo
JULY
- 1 – Burundi
- 1 – Canada (Canada Day)
- 1 – Rwanda
- 3 – Belarus
- 4 – United States of America
- 5 – Cabo Verde
- 5 – Venezuela
- 5 – Slovakia
- 6 – Comoros
- 6 – Malawi
- 7 – Nepal
- 7 – Solomon Islands
- 10 – Bahamas
- 11 – Mongolia (Revolution Day)
- 13 – Montenegro
- 14 – France
- 20 – Colombia
- 21 – Belgium (Ascension to the Throne of King Leopold I)
- 23 – Egypt (Revolution Day)
- 26 – Liberia
- 28 – Peru
- 30 – Morocco (Throne Day, Ascension of King Mohammed VI)
AUGUST
- 1 – Benin
- 1 – Switzerland (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)
- 2 – Macedonia
- 6 – Bolivia
- 6 – Jamaica
- 7 – Côte d’Ivoire
- 9 – Singapore
- 10 – Ecuador
- 11 – Chad
- 15 – Republic of the Congo
- 15 – India
- 15 – Liechtenstein
- 15 – South Korea (Liberation Day)
- 17 – Gabon
- 17 – Indonesia
- 19 – Afghanistan
- 20 – Hungary (St. Stephen’s Day)
- 24 – Ukraine
- 25 – Uruguay
- 27 – Moldova
- 31 – Kyrgyzstan
- 31 – Malaysia (Malaysia Day)
- 31 – Trinidad and Tobago
SEPTEMBER
- 1 – Libya
- 1 – Slovakia (Constitution Day)
- 1 – Uzbekistan
- 2 – Vietnam
- 6 – Swaziland
- 7 – Brazil
- 8 – Macedonia
- 15 – Costa Rica
- 15 – El Salvador
- 15 – Guatemala
- 15 – Honduras
- 15 – Nicaragua
- 16 – Mexico
- 16 – Papua New Guinea
- 18 – Chile
- 19 – Saint Kitts and Nevis
- 21 – Armenia
- 21 – Belize
- 21 – Malta
- 22 – Mali
- 23 – Saudi Arabia (Unification of the Kingdom)
- 24 – Guinea-Bissau
- 30 – Botswana (Botswana Day)
OCTOBER
- 1 – People’s Republic of China (Anniversary of the Founding)
- 1 – Cyprus
- 1 – Nigeria
- 1 – Palau
- 2 – Guinea
- 3 – Germany (Unity Day)
- 4 – Lesotho
- 8 – Croatia
- 9 – Uganda
- 11 – Fiji*
- 12 – Equatorial Guinea
- 12 – Spain (Hispanic Day: marks arrival of Columbus in the Americas)
- 18 – Azerbaijan
- 24 – Zambia
- 26 – Austria (Marks the passage of the law on permanent neutrality)
- 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- 27 – Turkmenistan
- 28 – Czechia
- 29 – Turkey (Republic Day)
NOVEMBER
- 1 – Algeria
- 1 – Antigua and Barbuda
- 1 – Slovakia (Constitution Day)
- 3 – Dominica
- 3 – Panama
- 9 – Cambodia
- 9 – Nepal
- 11 – Angola
- 18 – Latvia
- 18 – Oman (Birthday of Sultan Qaboos)
- 19 – Monaco
- 22 – Lebanon
- 25 – Suriname
- 28 – Albania
- 28 – Mauritania
- 30 – Barbados
DECEMBER
- 1 – Central African Republic
- 1 – Romania (Unification Day)
- 2 – Laos
- 2 – United Arab Emirates
- 5 – Thailand (Birthday of King Vajiralongkorn)
- 6 – Finland
- 11 – Burkina Faso
- 12 – Kenya
- 16 – Bahrain
- 16 – Kazakhstan
- 18 – Niger
- 18 – Qatar
- 23 – Japan (Birthday of Emperor Akihito)
* Israel: Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, commemorates the 5th day of the month of Iyar, the date of the formal establishment of the State of Israel. The date varies according to the Hebrew calendar. This is the 2019 date.
* UK: The UK has no official national day, although the Queen’s official birthday is often celebrated as such by embassies, consulates, and communities abroad. The date changes each year, and each commonwealth country may choose to celebrate it on a different day. Usually it occurs in late May or early June. In the UK it occurs on the first, second, or third Saturday in June.
* This date of birth is not the actual date of birth of the Grand Duke. As is often the case for ruling Royals, dates are changed to allow national festivities at a more favorable time of the year.
* Fiji: Per the CIA World Factbook, Fiji celebrates its 1970 independence from Britain on the second Monday of October, and the U.S. State Department notes the date as October 11. However, October 10 (the actual date of independence) seems to have been adopted as the official date in recent years, and it will be October 10, 2015 per the government of Fiji website.
Source: Unless otherwise noted, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic List, October 30, 2014.