National holiday: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A national holiday is a statutory holiday enacted by a country to commemorate the country itself. It is usually the anniversary of the country's independence, the signature of its constitution, or other significant event; in some cases it is the saint's day of the country's patron saint.

• January 20: Armenia
• January 26: Australia (Australia Day)
• January 26: India (Republic Day)
• February 11: Japan (National Foundation Day)
• April 30: The Netherlands (Koninginnedag, Queen's birthday)
• May 9: Jersey and Guernsey (Liberation Day)
• May 17: Norwegian Constitution Day
• June 5: Denmark
• June 6: Sweden (King Gustav I of Sweden crowned 1523)
• July 1: Canada (Canada Day)
• July 4: United States (Independence Day)
• July 5: Isle of Man (Tynwald Day)
• July 14: France (Bastille Day)
• July 21: Belgium (Nationale feestdag)
• August 9: Singapore (National Day)
• August 15: India (Independence Day)
• August 24: Ukraine (Independence Day)
• October 1: People's Republic of China
• October 1: Tuvalu (Independence Day)
• October 3: Germany (Reunification)
• October 10: Republic of China (Double Tenth Day)
• October 12: Spain
• October 26: Austria
• November 18: Latvia (Independence Day)
• December 6: Finland (Independence Day)

Some nations (in the ethnic sense) have their own national holidays. In cases in which the nation is represented by a subnational government in a larger country, that government may make the holiday statutory.

Examples:

• June 24: Quebec, Canada (Fête nationale du Québec or Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day)
• July 11: Flanders, Belgium
• September 11: Catalonia, Spain
• September 27: Wallonia, Belgium

Some subnational entities also commemorate themselves with statutory holidays that do not relate to a particular feeling of nationalism.

See also National Day, Independence Day, Public holiday, Calendar