Martyrs' Day is an annual day observed by nations to salute the martyrdom of soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation. The actual date may vary from one country to another. Here is a list of countries and Martyrs' Days.
Ahmad Shah Massoud
)
, branch = Jamiat-e Islami / Shura-e Nazar Afghan Armed Forces United Islamic Front
, serviceyears = 1975–2001
, rank = General
, unit =
, commands = Mujahideen commander during the Soviet–Afghan War ...
's 2001 assassination. It commemorates all those who died fighting for
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
.
Armenia
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day ( hy, Մեծ Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օր ''Mets Yegherrni zoheri hishataki or'') or Armenian Genocide Memorial Day is a public holiday in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh and is observed ...
, also known as Armenian Christian Martyr day, on April 24 in Armenia, commemorating the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...
from 1915 to 1923 in
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
Turkey.
Australia and New Zealand
Anzac Day
, image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
, caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary.
, observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Ne ...
() is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...
(ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
(1914–1918).
Azerbaijan
Martyrs' Day in Azerbaijan is observed on January 20, in memory of those killed in the
Black January
Black January ( az, Qara Yanvar), also known as Black Saturday or the January Massacre, was a violent crackdown on the civilian population of Baku on 19–20 January 1990, as part of a state of emergency during the dissolution of the Soviet Uni ...
events.
Bangladesh
*
Language Movement Day
(''Bhasha Andolôn Dibôs'')
, nickname = bn, শহীদ দিবস (''Shôhid Dibôs'')
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = Annual
, observedby = Bangladesh and Bengali speakers in India and elsewhere
, date = 21 Feb ...
, also known as Language Martyrs' Day, on 21 February in Bangladesh, commemorates Bengali as a national language.
* Bengali Genocide Remembrance Day is observed on 25 March in Bangladesh to commemorate the victims of the Bengali Genocide of 1971, initially in 2017.
*
Martyred Intellectuals Day
Martyred Intellectuals Day ( bn, শহীদ বুদ্ধিজীবী দিবস, Shaheed Buddhijibi Dibôsh) is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their coll ...
is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the
1971 Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
, particularly on 14 December 1971.
Burkina Faso
Martyrs' Day, on October 31, honors victims of the
2015 Burkinabé coup d'état
Fifteen or 15 may refer to:
*15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16
*one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015
Music
*Fifteen (band), a punk rock band
Albums
* ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005
* ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...
.
Burma
Burmese Martyrs' Day
Martyrs' Day ( my, အာဇာနည်နေ့, ) is a Burmese national holiday observed on 19 July to commemorate Gen. Aung San and seven other leaders of the pre-independence interim government, and one bodyguard —Thakin Mya, Ba Cho, Ab ...
, on July 19, the day when nine Burmese independence leaders were assassinated in 1947.
China
Martyrs' Day (China)
Martyrs' Day () is celebrated in China on September 30, the eve of the National Day of the People's Republic of China, to commemorate those who lost their lives serving China. It was created by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congre ...
is celebrated on September 30, the eve of the
National Day of the People's Republic of China
National Day ( zh, s=国庆节, t=, p=guóqìng jié, l=national celebration day, links=yes), officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China (), is a public holiday in China celebrated annually on 1 October as the national da ...
, to commemorate those who lost their lives for the national and territorial integrity of the people of China. It was created by the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China.
With 2,9 ...
in 2014.
Eritrea
Martyrs' Day (Eritrea)
There are approximately sixteen nationally recognized public holidays in Eritrea, a country in the Horn of Africa. The primary national holiday is Independence Day (24/05), Martyrs Day (20/06) and Revolution Day (September 1 - 01/09). Other commem ...
, is observed on June 20 of every year to honor the fallen heroes of Eritrea's warriors from the Yikealo and Warsay generations .
Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 at age 78 in the compound of Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi. His assassin was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Chitpavan Brahmin from Pune, Maharashtra, ...
in 1948. The date was chosen as it marks the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 by Nathuram Godse. On Martyr's Day the president, the vice president, the prime minister, the defence minister, and the three Service Chiefs gather at the samadhi at Raj Ghat memorial and lay wreaths decorated with multi-colour flowers. The armed forces personnel blow bugles sounding the Last Post. The inter-services contingent reverse arms as a mark of respect. A two-minute silence in memory of Indian martyrs is observed throughout the country at 11 AM. Participants hold all-religion prayers and sing tributes.
Lebanon
Martyrs' Day (Lebanon and Syria)
Martyrs' Day ( ar, عيد الشهداء) is a Syrian and Lebanese national holiday commemorating the Syrian and Lebanese nationalists executed in Damascus and Beirut on 6 May 1916 by Jamal Pasha, also known as 'Al Jazzar' or 'The Butcher', the ...
, commemorates the execution of Lebanese and Syrian nationalists in Beirut (on what's now called Martyrs Square in DownTown) by the Ottoman occupants on May 6, 1916.
Also commemorates the martyrs of the Lebanese civil war from 1975 till 1990.
Libya
16 September Martyrs' Day remembers Libyans killed or exiled under Italian rule and those who were killed in the 17 of February revolution.
Madagascar
Martyrs' Day in the country, observed every 29 March, commemorates the beginning of the 1947
Malagasy Uprising
The Malagasy Uprising (french: Insurrection malgache; mg, Tolom-bahoaka tamin' ny 1947) was a Malagasy nationalist rebellion against French colonial rule in Madagascar, lasting from March 1947 to February 1949. Starting in late 1945, Madagasca ...
.
Malawi
In Malawi, Martyrs' Day is celebrated on March 3 to honor the political heroes who gave their lives in the struggle against British colonialism.
Malaysia
Warriors' Day
Heroes' Day or National Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on the birthday of a national hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that m ...
( ms, Hari Pahlawan; ) is a day in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
that commemorates the servicemen killed during the two
World War
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
s and the
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces ...
. By extension, it honours all individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty throughout Malaysia's history.
Mali
Martyrs' Day or Democracy Day is celebrated on
March 26
Events Pre-1600
* 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
*1021 – On the feast of Eid al-Adha, the death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, ...
Mizo National Front
The Mizo National Front ( MNF) is a regional political party in Mizoram, India. MNF emerged from the Mizo National Famine Front, which was formed by Pu Laldenga to protest against the inaction of the Indian central government towards the fami ...
.
Nepal
In Nepal, Martyrs' Day ( ne, शहीद दिवस) is celebrated on ( ne, माघ १६ गते) Magh 16 in the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar. The month(s) of January and/or February corresponds to the month of Magh.
Martyr ( ne, शहिद; Shahid) in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
is a term for some one who is executed while making contributions for the welfare of the country or society. The term was originally used for individuals who died while opposing the
Rana Regime
Rana dynasty ( ne, राणा वंश, IAST=Rāṇā vaṃśa , ) is a Chhetri dynasty that imposed totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other ...
which was in place in the
Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...
from 1846 until 1951. There are five martyrs in Nepal.
Lakhan Thapa is regarded as the first
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
May 4
Events Pre-1600
* 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae''.
* 1415 – Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus ar ...
in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands
, national_anthem = )
, image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg
, map_width = 250px
, image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png
, map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale
, capital = ...
who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.
Pakistan
Martyrs' Day or Youm-e-Shuda is a Pakistani holiday held on 30 April to pay tribute to Pakistani military who died in service of their country.
The 10 Pakistani Brave Soldiers who died in the service of their country while fighting bravely hold Nishan-e-Haider.
Panama
Martyrs' Day (Panama)
Martyrs' Day ( es, Día de los Mártires) is a Panamanian day of national mourning which commemorates the January 9, 1964 anti-American riots over sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone. The riot started after a Panamanian flag was torn and s ...
, is a Panamanian holiday which commemorates the January 9, 1964 riots over sovereignty of the
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the ter ...
.
São Tomé and Príncipe
''Dia dos Mártires da Liberdade'', 3 February, commemorates the 1953
Sudan People's Liberation Army
The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a ...
during the
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated ...
. Following a peace agreement, he briefly served as First Vice President of Sudan for three weeks until his death in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005. Foul play in his death has never been proven, but July 30 is marked as Martyr's Day in
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
.
Syria
Martyrs' Day (Lebanon and Syria)
Martyrs' Day ( ar, عيد الشهداء) is a Syrian and Lebanese national holiday commemorating the Syrian and Lebanese nationalists executed in Damascus and Beirut on 6 May 1916 by Jamal Pasha, also known as 'Al Jazzar' or 'The Butcher', the ...
, commemorates the execution of Syrian nationalists in Damascus by the Ottoman occupants on May 6, 1916.
Togo
June 21. The day honors all who struggled for the freedom of Togo. It is celebrated with a military parade in
Lomé
Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437
Tunisia
April 9, Martyr's Day remembers Tunisians killed in 1938.
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
on March 18, 1915.
Uganda
In Uganda, Martyrs' Day is celebrated on June 3, mainly in honor of the
Uganda Martyrs
The Uganda Martyrs are a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda, who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887.
They were killed on orders of Mwang ...
; Christian converts who were murdered for their religion in Uganda's biggest kingdom, Buganda in the late-1880s.
Commemoration Day (United Arab Emirates)
Commemoration Day, previously known as Martyrs' Day (Arabic: ''yawm ash-shahiid''), is a national holiday in the United Arab Emirates recognising the sacrifices and dedication of Emirati martyrs who have given their life in the field of civil, ...
will be marked annually on November 30, recognising the sacrifices and dedication of
Emirati martyrs
Commemoration Day, previously known as Martyrs' Day (Arabic: ''yawm ash-shahiid''), is a national holiday in the United Arab Emirates recognising the sacrifices and dedication of Emirati martyrs who have given their life in the field of civil, ...
who have given their life in the UAE and abroad in the field of civil, military and humanitarian service.
United States of America
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
(originally known as Decoration Day) is a
federal holiday in the United States
Federal holidays in the United States are the eleven calendar dates that are designated by the U.S. government as holidays. On U.S. federal holidays, non-essential federal government offices are closed and federal government employees are pai ...
for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties. Since 1971, the holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. The holiday was observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.