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.
¹ Countries celebrating the same Victory Day of the Soviet Union
² Countries celebrating the same Victory Day over Pakistan
³ Countries celebrating the same Victory in Europe Day of the Allies of World War II
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 Day¹ | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [3] |
Azerbaijan | Victory Day | 8 November | 2020–present | 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War | [4] |
Bangladesh | Vijay Dibas² | 16 December | 1971–present | Bangladesh Liberation War | [5] |
Belarus | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [6] |
Bosnia–Herzegovina | Victory Day¹ | 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] |
France | Victory in Europe Day³ | 8 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
Estonia | Võidupüha | 23 June | 1934–1939; 1992–present | Estonian War of Independence | [10] |
Georgia | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
India | Vijay Diwas² | 16 December | 1972–present | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | [11] |
Kargil Vijay Diwas | 26 July | 2000–present | Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 | [12] | |
Israel | Victory in Europe Day (Israeli)³ | 9 May | 2018–present | World War II | [13] |
Iraq | Victory Day | 10 December | 2017–present | Victory over Daesh ISIS | |
Kazakhstan | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [14] |
Kyrgyzstan | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | |
Malta | Victory Day | 8 September | Great Siege of Malta, French blockade, World War II | [15] | |
Moldova | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–present | World War II | [16] |
Mozambique | Lusaka Accord Day | 7 September | 1975–present | Mozambican War of Independence | [17] |
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 | [18] |
Poland | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1945–2014 | World War II | [19] |
Victory in Europe Day³ | 8 May | 2015–present | World War II | [19] | |
Russia | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
Serbia | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1995–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
Sri Lanka | Victory Day | 18 May | 2010–2014 | Sri Lankan Civil War | [20] |
Remembrance Day | 18 May | 2015–present | Sri Lankan Civil War | [20] | |
Turkey | Victory Day | 30 August | 1926–present | Turkish War of Independence | [21] |
Ukraine | Victory Day¹ | 9 May | 1991–2015 | World War II | [22] |
Victory Day over Nazism in World War II | 9 May | 2016–2023 | World War II | [22] | |
Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945 | 8 May | 2023–present | World War II | [22] | |
United Kingdom | Victory in Europe Day³ | 8 May | 1945–present | World War II | [ citation needed ] |
Vietnam | Reunification Day | 30 April | 1976–present | Vietnam War | [22] |
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.
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 began, and now coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are commemorated in other countries, marking 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. Russia and some former Soviet countries celebrate on 9 May, as Germany's unconditional surrender entered into force at 23:01 on 8 May Central European Time; this corresponded with 01:01 on 9 May in Moscow Time.
Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the Soviet victory 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, and only in certain Soviet republics.
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.
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the world. Massed parades may also hold a role for propaganda purposes, being used to exhibit the apparent military strength of a country.
Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day.
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 AAK Niazi, surrendered to the Mukti Bahini and their Indian allies, 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.
Defender of the Fatherland Day is a holiday observed in Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. It is celebrated on 23 February, except in Kazakhstan, where it is celebrated on 7 May. Ukraine abolished the holiday starting 1992 and, after the Revolution of Dignity, has instated the somewhat similar Defender of Ukraine Day on 1 October.
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 26 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 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 showed the involvement of 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 killed 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.
The 2015 China Victory Day parade was a military parade held along Chang'an Avenue, Beijing, on 3 September 2015 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day of World War II. The commemoration was the first high-profile military parade held to celebrate an occasion other than the National Day of the People's Republic of China. 12,000 troops of the People's Liberation Army participated in the parade, in addition to over 1,000 troops from 17 different countries, and about 850,000 "Citizen Guards" were mobilised to guard the city. Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping inspected the troops, Premier Li Keqiang was the master of ceremonies and General Song Puxuan was the chief commander of the parade.
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.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav or 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence was an event, in which the 75th anniversary of the independence of India was celebrated in India and abroad. It was the 76th Independence Day of India.