Tony Abbott inspecting Australias Federation Guard January 2015

Foundation Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the founding of a nation, state or a creation of a military unit. This day is for countries that came into existence without the of gaining independence. The term overlaps with national days.

Background

Older countries that use some other event of special significance as their national day. This signals the use of a "class" of National Days, that are equally important in the foundation of the nation, and a "class" of less important official public holidays. This holiday can be symbolised by the date of becoming republic or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler (birthday, accession, removal, etc.) as the starting point of the nation's history. Often the day is not called "Foundation Day" but serves and can be considered as one.

Examples

Asia

Double Ten Day The National Day of the Republic of China ( zh, 中華民國的國慶日) or the Taiwan National Day, also referred to as Double Ten Day or Double Tenth Day, is a public holiday on 10 October, now held annually in Taiwan (officially the Republi ...

: outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising China and founding of the Republic of China (1911) *

Gaecheonjeol Gaecheonjeol () is a public holiday in South and North Korea on 3 October. Also known by the English name National Foundation Day, this holiday celebrates the legendary formation of the first Korean state of Gojoseon in 2333 BC. This date has ...

: (English- National Foundation Day) public holiday in South Korea Also, celebrating the creation of Modern-day Korea in the year 2333 BCE * Hong Kong Foundation Day on 26 January, the anniversary of the founding of Hong Kong as a British colony (until 1997) *

National Foundation Day is an annual public holiday in Japan on 11 February, celebrating the foundation of Japan, enforced by a specific Cabinet Order set in 1966. 11 February is the accession date of the legendary first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu, converted int ...

, national holiday in Japan, celebrating the founding of the nation and the imperial line by its first emperor *

Republic Day Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics. List January 1 January in Slovak Republic The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially cal ...

in India: becoming the first republic in the British Commonwealth of Nations, 1950 *

Saudi National Day Saudi National Day ( ar, اليوم الوطني للمملكة العربية السعودية ''al-Yawm al-Waṭanī lil-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya as-Saʿūdiyya'') is celebrated in Saudi Arabia every 23rd of September to commemorate the renaming ...

: the end of the 30-year campaign to unite the central Arabian lands to found the modern state, 1932 *

Day of the Foundation of the Republic (North Korea) Day of the Foundation of the Republic () is the Republic Day and National day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, held on 9 September. The Day of the Foundation of the Republic is one of the most important holidays of the country, al ...

: commemorates the foundation of the

DPRK North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tu ...

in 1948

Australasia

* Foundation Day, one of the precursors of

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...

, celebrating the day the

First Fleet The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...

landed at

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

1788 (also used separately to mark the foundation of two states) * Norfolk Island Foundation Day on

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

on March 6, commemorating the First Fleet settlement under Philip Gidley King in 1788 *

Western Australia Day Western Australia Day or simply WA Day (formerly known as Foundation Day)King, Rhianna (2012)– WA Today. Published 10 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012. is a public holiday in Western Australia (WA), celebrated on the first Monday in June ea ...

, a public holiday in Western Australia held on the first Monday in June, formerly known as Foundation Day

Europe

German Unity Day German Unity Day (german: Tag der Deutschen Einheit) is the National Day of Germany, celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday. It commemorates German reunification in 1990 when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) joined the Federal R ...

: unification of West Germany and East Germany and the foundation of the modern German state, 1990 *

Statehood Day (Lithuania) Statehood Day or Coronation Day is an annual public holiday in Lithuania celebrated on July 6 to commemorate the coronation in 1253 of Mindaugas as the only King of Lithuania. The exact day of the event is disputable and was chosen according to th ...

: commemorates coronation of the first king, Mindaugas *

Swiss National Day The Swiss National Day (german: Schweizer Bundesfeiertag; french: Fête nationale suisse; it, Festa nazionale svizzera; Romansh: Festa naziunala svizra) is the national holiday of Switzerland, set on 1 August. Although the founding of the Swis ...

: alliance of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden against the Holy Roman Empire and the foundation of the Swiss state, 1291

References