Men's and Soldiers' Day ( mn, Эр цэргийн баяр, Эрчүүдийн баяр) is a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

is celebrated on 18 March annually. Being the official holiday of the

Mongolian Armed Forces The Mongolian Armed Forces ( mn, Монгол Улсын Зэвсэгт Хүчин; ''Mongol: ulsyn zevsegt hüchin'') is the collective name for the Mongolian military and the joint forces that comprise it. It is tasked with protecting the inde ...

, it is the equivalent of

Defender of the Fatherland Day Defender of the Fatherland Day (russian: День защитника Отечества ''Den' zashchitnika Otechestva''; kk, Отан қорғаушы күні; tg, Рӯзи Дорандаи Ватан; ky, Мекенди коргоочула ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and/or the male version of

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

Background

In March 1921, during the early stages of the

Mongolian Revolution of 1921 The Mongolian Revolution of 1921 (Outer Mongolian Revolution of 1921, or People's Revolution of 1921) was a military and political event by which Mongolian revolutionaries, with the assistance of the Soviet Red Army, expelled Russian White Guar ...

, a Mongolian guerrilla army led by Damdin Sükhbaatar as Supreme Commander launched an offensive at the Chinese garrison at Kyakhta Maimaicheng ( Altanbulag, Selenge). The offensive followed a failed attempt by the

Mongolian People's Party The Mongolian People's Party (MPP) is a social democratic political party in Mongolia. It was founded as a communist party in 1920 by Mongolian revolutionaries and is the oldest political party in Mongolia. The party played an important role i ...

central committee to reach an ultimatum with Chinese troops. Despite Sükhbaatar's 400-man army being heavily outnumbered by the Chinese, he led his troops to victory in taking the town. This event is considered to be the date that gave birth to the modern Mongolian Armed Forces and the preceding Mongolian People's Army.

Celebrations

The holiday is celebrated in many different ways as it is both a civilian and military holiday. The military side usually conducts promotion and award ceremonies. The

Chief of General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

usually takes part in a wreath laying ceremony on Sükhbaatar Square. The President of Mongolia in his/her position as commander-in-chief usually sends greetings on the holiday, often visiting the country's National Defense University.

Military tattoo A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ''doe den tap toe'' ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeeper ...

s are held in the capital of

Ulanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

as well as gala

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

s. The 100th anniversary of the armed forces was celebrated in 2021.

References

{{Reflist Mongolian culture Summer events in Mongolia Public holidays in Mongolia March observances Armed Forces days Military of Mongolia