| Heroes' Day | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Multiple countries and territories |
| Type | National |
| Date | Various |
| Frequency | Annual |
Heroes' Day orNational Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on thebirthday of anational hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that made them heroes.
National Heroes' Day inAngola is aholiday in Angola on 17 September, the birthday of the national heroAgostinho Neto.
National Heroes' Day in theBahamas has been a public holiday since 2013. It replaced Discovery Day, which celebrated the arrival ofChristopher Columbus to the Americas.
National Heroes' Day is apublic holiday inBarbados on April 28, honoring the eleven national heroes of Barbados.[1] It was first celebrated on 28 April 1998, the centenary of the birth of national heroGrantley Adams, after the passing of the Order of National Heroes Act 1998.[2]
National Heroes' Day has been an official holiday inBermuda since 2008, when the centre-left government declared it would replace theQueen's Official Birthday marked in June. Over 2,000 residents signed a petition in protest calling to retain the Queen's Birthday holiday.[3]
Initially observed in October, the holiday was moved to the third Monday of June in 2009.[4][5]
Currently Bermuda has eight (8) National Heroes, voting is open to the public once every decade as of June 2022, with the next nomination period beginning in 2025.[6]
Heroes Day is apublic holiday in Cape Verde on 20 January. It commemorates the 1973 assassination ofAmílcar Cabral, who is remembered as a hero for fighting westerncolonialism andexploitation.
The fourth Monday in January is National Heroes' Day in the Cayman Islands; it was proclaimed with the National Heroes Law, providing for the declaration of persons who have rendered exceptional service as national heroes. Numerous Caymanians have been declared national heroes, includes the Hon. James (Jim) Manoah Bodden, Mrs.Sybil I. McLaughlin, Mr. Thomas William Farrington, Mrs.Sybil Joyce Hylton, Mr. Desmond Vere Watler, Ms Mary Evelyn Wood, Cert. Hon. andWilliam Warren Conolly.
December 31 isNational Heroes Day inEast Timor. It commemorates theIndonesian invasion of East Timor.
Heroes' Day is celebrated onJanuary 20 to commemorate the assassination of independence leaderAmilcar Cabral in 1973.[7]
Heroes' Day (Hungarian:Hősök napja), National Heroes' Day or the Memorial Day of Hungarian Heroes inHungary is celebrated on the 31 May as a public holiday. It is observed with military ceremonies at monuments such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier onHeroes' Square in Budapest all to commemorate soldiers in service to Hungary.[8] It has been marked every year by theHungarian Defence Force and the public since 2001.[9]
Hari Pahlawan (Indonesian forHeroes' Day) is a national day annually celebrated on 10 November inIndonesia.[10] The day commemorates the 1945Battle of Surabaya,[11] in which pro-independenceIndonesian local community, as well as soldiers and militia fought against British and Dutch troops as part of theIndonesian National Revolution.[12]
In Jamaica, Heroes' Day is celebrated annually on the third Monday of October. It started in 1969.[13] It honoursAlexander Bustamante, Jamaica’s first prime minister;Nanny of the Maroons, who led a fight for independence in the early 18th century, and five other national heroes. The government also recognizes modern heroes on this date.[14]
Mashujaa Day, also known asHeroes' Day ("mashujaa" isSwahili for "heroes"), is a national day inKenya, which is observed on 20 October as apublic holiday to collectively honour all those who contributed towards the struggle for Kenya's independence or positively contributed in the post independence Kenya. It was previously known asKenyatta Day, which was celebrated to commemorate the detention inKapenguria of freedom fightersAchieng' Oneko,Bildad Kaggia,Fred Kubai,Jomo Kenyatta,Kung'u Karumba andPaul Ngei, often referred to as theKapenguria Six. However, following the promulgation of theConstitution of Kenya in August 2010, Kenyatta Day was renamed.[15]
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Warriors' Day (Malay:Hari Pahlawan) is a day inMalaysia that commemorates the servicemen killed during the twoWorld Wars and theMalayan Emergency. By extension, it honours all individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty throughout Malaysia's history. Until 2009, every year on 31 July, theKing and thePrime Minister as well as senior representatives of theRoyal Malaysian Police and the Armed Forces gathered at the National Monument inLake Gardens to lay wreaths and pay homage to Malaysia's fallen heroes. They now gather atMerdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur,National Heroes' Square, Putrajaya or in Kem Perdana inSungai Besi, also in KL (the 2014 event was held there).[16]
Heroes' Day is apublic holiday inMozambique on 3 February. It is set to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Portuguese Colonial War.[17]
26 August is Heroes' Day in Namibia. It marks the beginning of the armed struggle during theNamibian War of Independence.
Heroes' Day inParaguay is a national public holiday held on 1 March. It commemorates the death of PresidentFrancisco Solano López at thebattle of Cerro Cora in 1870, ending theWar of the Triple Alliance.
National Heroes' Day (Filipino:Araw ng mga Bayani) is anational public holiday in the Philippines observed every last Monday in August[18] to mark the anniversary of theCry of Pugad Lawin, the beginning of thePhilippine Revolution by theKatipunan and itsSupremoAndrés Bonifacio in 1896.[19] This holiday was originally kept on the last Sunday of August in 1931, but in 2007 was moved to its present date byPresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reduce work disruptions, allow for longer weekends, and boost domestic tourism and businesses.[18]
Heroes' Day inRomania is celebrated on the 40th day (Feast of the Ascension) from the Orthodox Easter. It is a national holiday;[20] observed with military and religious festivities at the monuments dedicated to the national heroes (such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).
National Heroes' Day is apublic holiday inRwanda on 1 February.
National Heroes Day is a holiday inSaint Kitts and Nevis that is observed annually on 16 September. It honours individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the nation. There are currently five national heroes:Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw,Paul Southwell,Joseph Nathaniel France,Simeon Daniel andKennedy Simmonds.
National Heroes Day is a holiday inSomaliland that is observed annually on 17 October, and has been a public holiday since 2018.[27][28]
Heroes' Day, also known as Kruger Day, was celebrated in theSouth African Republic and later in theRepublic of South Africa until 1994.
National Heroes Day in Sri Lanka is celebrated every 22 May. It has been celebrated since 1818 Kandyan rebellion against British invasion in Sri Lanka. This year (2013), 195th commemoration of National Heroes Day of Sri Lanka was held by the sponsorship of the Sri Lankan Government.[citation needed]
In theTurks and Caicos Islands, National Heroes' Day takes place on the last Monday in May.[29][30]
Heroes' Day inUganda takes place every 9 June.
TheUnited Kingdom first celebrated a National Heroes Day in 2011, on 21 October (the same day as the victory atBattle of Trafalgar). It was founded by Danny Glavin, a teacher fromFareham, Hampshire. After hearing about the tragic death of his childhood friend whilst serving in Afghanistan, he decided to fund-raise for a military charity in his memory. The day was endorsed by Prime MinisterDavid Cameron. Now Glavin has founded The Inspiration Federation and coordinates the Heroes Day Educational Programme within schools across the United Kingdom.[31][32]
Heroes' Day inZambia is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in July annually. Heroes Day is a memorial day for those who perished during the independence struggles.Unity Day, also a public holiday, occurs the next day, celebrating a country with over 70 languages and dialects, united into one nation.[33][34]
Heroes' Day inZimbabwe is a public holiday observed on the second Monday of August each year.[35] This is a day to remember those who died during the liberation war or those who were declared National Heroes when they died and are buried at the National shrine, The National Heroes Acre in Harare. There are also 10 Provincial Heroes Acres where those who have not been accorded the highest honour but are recognised for the role they played during the Liberation War and are buried in the Provinces they would have come from.
