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 in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

and/or the male version of International Women's Day.

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 Gua ...

, a Mongolian guerrilla army led by

Damdin Sükhbaatar Damdin Sükhbaatar ( mn, Дамдины Сүхбаатар, Damdinii Sühbaatar, ; February 2, 1893 – February 20, 1923) was a Mongolian communist revolutionary, founding member of the Mongolian People's Party, and leader of the Mongolia ...

as Supreme Commander launched an offensive at the Chinese garrison at Kyakhta Maimaicheng (

Altanbulag, Selenge Altanbulag ( mn, Алтанбулаг, "golden spring") is a sum (district) of Selenge Province in northern Mongolia. It is located about 25 km from the provincial capital of Sükhbaatar, on the border with Russia opposite the town of K ...

). 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 ...

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 The Mongolian People's Army ( Mongolian: ''Монголын Ардын Арми''), also known as the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army ( Mongolian: ''Монгол Ардын Хувьсгалт Цэрэг'') or the Mongolian Red Army ( Mong ...

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 usually takes part in a wreath laying ceremony on

Sükhbaatar Square Sükhbaatar Square ( mn, Сүхбаатарын талбай, pronounced ''Sükhbaatariin Talbai'') is the central square of Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar. The square was named for Mongolian's revolutionary hero Damdin Sükhbaatar after his death ...

. The

President of Mongolia The president of Mongolia ( mn, Монгол Улсын Ерөнхийлөгч, ''Mongol Ulsyn Yerönkhiilögch'') is the executive head of state of Mongolia.Montsame News Agency. ''Mongolia''. 2006, , p. 42 The current president is Ukhnaagiin ...

in his/her position as commander-in-chief usually sends greetings on the holiday, often visiting the country's

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

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 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 variet ...

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