Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may observe the same holiday, with the most prominent united celebrations occurring in states that comprised the Allies of World War II, celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany.
| State | Holiday | Date | Observed | Relationship | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | Mujahideen Victory Day | 28 April | 1992–present | Soviet–Afghan War | [1] |
 Algeria | Victory Day of Algeria | 19 March | 1962–present | Algerian War | [2] |
 Armenia | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [3] |
 Azerbaijan | Victory Day | 8 November | 2020–present | 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War | [4] |
 Bangladesh | Victory Day [b] | 16 December | 1971–present | Bangladesh Liberation War | [5] |
 Belarus | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [6] |
 Bosnia–Herzegovina | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | World War II | ||
 China | Victory over Japan Day | 3 September | 1946–present | World War II | [7] [8] |
 Croatia | Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day | 5 August | 2003–present | Croatian War of Independence | [9] |
 Czech Republic | Victory in Europe Day [c] | 8 May | 1993-present | World War II | [10] |
 France | Victory in Europe Day [c] | 8 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
 Estonia | Võidupüha | 23 June | 1934–1939; 1992–present | Estonian War of Independence | [11] |
 Georgia | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
 India | Vijay Diwas [b] | 16 December | 1972–present | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | [12] |
| Kargil Vijay Diwas | 26 July | 2000–present | Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 | [13] | |
 Israel | Victory in Europe Day (Israeli) [c] | 9 May | 2018–present | World War II | [14] |
 Iraq | Victory Day | 10 December | 2017–present | Victory over Daesh/ISIS | |
| Great Victory Day | 8 August | 1988–2003 | Victory over Iran | ||
 Kazakhstan | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [15] |
 Kyrgyzstan | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
 Malta | Victory Day | 8 September | Great Siege of Malta, French blockade, World War II | [16] | |
 Moldova | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [17] |
 Mozambique | Lusaka Accord Day | 7 September | 1975–present | Mozambican War of Independence | [18] |
 Netherlands | Liberation Day | 5 May | 1990–present | World War II | |
 North Korea | Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War | 27 July | 1973–present | Korean War | [19] |
 Poland | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1945–2014 | World War II | [20] |
| Victory in Europe Day [c] | 8 May | 2015–present | World War II | [20] | |
 Russia | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
 Serbia | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
 Sri Lanka | Victory Day | 18 May | 2010–2014 | Sri Lankan Civil War | [21] |
| Remembrance Day | 18 May | 2015–present | Sri Lankan Civil War | [21] | |
 Turkey | Victory Day | 30 August | 1926–present | Turkish War of Independence | [22] |
 Ukraine | Victory Day [a] | 9 May | 1991–2015 | World War II | [23] |
| Victory Day over Nazism in World War II | 9 May | 2016–2023 | World War II | [23] | |
| Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945 | 8 May | 2023–present | World War II | [23] | |
 United Kingdom | Victory in Europe Day [c] | 8 May | 1945–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
 United States (Rhode Island) | Victory Day | Second Monday in August | 1945–present | World War II | [24] |
 Vietnam | Reunification Day | 30 April | 1976–present | Vietnam War | [23] |
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. Public holidays are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often also observed as public holidays in religious majority countries. Some religious holidays, such as Christmas, have become secularised by part or all of those who observe them. In addition to secularisation, many holidays have become commercialised due to the growth of industry.
July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., being the month of his birth. Before then it was called Quintilis, being the fifth month of the calendar that started with March.
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. The First World War formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.
The Soviet–Afghan War took place in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from December 1979 to February 1989. Marking the beginning of the protracted Afghan conflict, it saw the Soviet Union and the Afghan military fight against the rebelling Afghan mujahideen. While they were backed by various countries and organizations, the majority of the mujahideen's support came from Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Iran, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, in addition to a large influx of foreign fighters known as the Afghan Arabs. American and British involvement on the side of the mujahideen escalated the Cold War, ending a short period of relaxed Soviet Union–United States relations. Combat took place throughout the 1980s, mostly in the Afghan countryside, as most of the country's cities remained under Soviet control. The conflict resulted in the deaths of one to three million Afghans, while millions more fled from the country as refugees; most externally displaced Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan and in Iran. Approximately 7.4% to 22.2% of Afghanistan's erstwhile population of 13.5 million people is estimated to have been killed over the course of the Soviet–Afghan War. The decade-long confrontation between the mujahideen and the Soviet and Afghan militaries inflicted grave destruction throughout Afghanistan and has also been cited by scholars as a significant factor that contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991; it is for this reason that the conflict is sometimes referred to as "the Soviet Union's Vietnam" in retrospective analyses.
Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45 am for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11:00 am—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918—although, according to Thomas R. Gowenlock, an intelligence officer with the U.S. First Division, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, ending only at nightfall. The armistice initially expired after a period of 36 days and had to be extended several times. A formal peace agreement was reached only when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year.
Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which also occur on the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official end of World War II in Europe in the Eastern Front, with the last known shots fired on 11 May.
Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945. It was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender late in the evening on 8 May 1945. The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin. Although the official inauguration occurred in 1945, the holiday became a non-labor day only in 1965.
Victory over Japan Day is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on which the initial announcement of Japan's surrender was made – 15 August 1945, in Japan, and because of time zone differences, 14 August 1945 – as well as to 2 September 1945, when the surrender document was signed, officially ending World War II.
An Armed Forces Day, alongside its branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the armed forces, or one of their branches, of a sovereign state, including their personnel, history, achievements, and perceived sacrifices. It's often patriotic or nationalistic in nature, carrying propaganda value outside of the conventional boundaries of a military's subculture and into the wider civilian society. Many nations around the world observe this day. It is usually distinct from a Veterans or Memorial Day, as the former is dedicated to those who previously served and the latter is dedicated to those who perished in the fulfillment of their duties.
Victory Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on 16 December to commemorate the defeat of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and the Independence of Bangladesh. It commemorates the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender, wherein the commander of the Pakistani Forces, General A. A. K. Niazi, surrendered to Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, Joint Commander of Indian and Bangladesh Forces, ending the nine-month Bangladesh Liberation War and 1971 Bangladesh genocide and marking the official secession of East Pakistan to become the new state of Bangladesh.
Martyrs' Day are days observed in or by some countries, incl. the United States, Japan, India, Brazil, Canada and Australia, to recognise martyrs such as soldiers, revolutionaries or victims of genocide. Below is a list of various Martyrs' Days for different countries of the World.
Mujahideen Victory Day is a political holiday observed in all parts of Afghanistan, falling on the 28 April each year. It commemorates the day when Mujahideen rebel forces overthrew the Communist government in 1992. It is celebrated mostly by former Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Some Afghans are against celebrating the day because it marks the start of civil war.
Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on 26 of July in India, to observe India's victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War for ousting Pakistani Forces from their occupied positions on the mountain tops of Northern Kargil District in Ladakh in 1999. Initially, the Pakistani army denied their involvement in the war, claiming that it was caused by the Kashmiri militants. However documents left behind by casualties, testimony of POWs and later statements by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Army Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf pointed to the involvement of the Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by General Ashraf Rashid.
The National War Memorial is a war memorial in New Delhi, Delhi, India, located at India Gate Circle. It has been built to honour and remember soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who fought in armed conflicts of independent India. The names of armed forces personnel martyed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other operations such as Operation Rakshak are inscribed on the memorial walls in golden letters.
Victory Day parades are common military parades that are held on 9 May in some post-Soviet nations, primarily Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and formerly Ukraine. They are usually held to honor the traditional Victory Day holiday. In 2015, the Ukrainian government renamed the holiday as "Victory Day over Nazism in World War II" as part of decommunization laws and in 2023 moved the holiday to 8 May.
Victory in Europe Day is an Israeli national day of remembrance celebrated annually on Victory Day, to commemorate the day when the Nazis signed the German Instrument of Surrender to the Allied Expeditionary Force and the Red Army, ending World War II in Europe.
The Day of Remembrance and Sorrow is a memorable date celebrated annually on 22 June in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. It honors the anniversary of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. On 13 June. the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Russia declared that 22 June should be marked as the Remembrance Day for Defenders of the Fatherland. It was established by decree of President of Russia Boris Yeltsin on 8 June 1996.
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