Martyrs' Day are days observed in or by some countries, including the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, to recognise

martyrs A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, 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 external party. In ...

such as

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

revolutionaries A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

or victims of

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

. Below is a list of various Martyrs' Days for different countries of the World.

Afghanistan

Martyrs' Day Martyrs' Day are days observed in or by some countries, including the United States, Japan, India, Brazil, Canada and Australia, to recognise martyrs such as soldiers, revolutionaries or victims of genocide. Below is a list of various Martyrs' Days ...

is observed on September 8 or 9 ( variable), the anniversary of

Ahmad Shah Massoud Ahmad Shāh Massoud (2 September 19539 September 2001) was an Afghan militant leader and politician. He was a guerrilla commander during the resistance against the Soviet occupation during the Soviet–Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. In the 19 ...

's 2001 assassination. It has also been recognised officially by

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...

, home to the highest concentration of Afghani immigrants and refugees in the

Armenia

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, on April 24 in Armenia, commemorates the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, 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 t ...

, which occurred from 1915 to 1923 in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

Australia and New Zealand

Anzac Day Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...

() 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 originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

(ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(1914–1918).

Azerbaijan

Martyrs' Day in Azerbaijan is observed on January 20, in memory of those killed in the Black January events.

Bangladesh

Language Movement Day The Language Movement Day (), officially called Language Martyrs' Day (), is a national holiday of Bangladesh taking place on 21 February each year and commemorating the Bengali language movement and its martyrs. On this day, people visit Shahee ...

, 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 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, particularly on 14 December 1971.

Burkina Faso

Martyrs' Day, on October 31, honors victims of the

2015 Burkinabé coup d'état The 2015 Burkina Faso coup attempt was a failed coup d'état launched on 16 September 2015 in Burkina Faso, when members of the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP) – a controversial autonomous military unit, formed under Dictator Blaise Co ...

Burma (Myanmar)

, on July 19, commemorates the day when nine Burmese independence leaders were assassinated in 1947.

China

Martyrs' Day (China) 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 (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...

in 2014.

Eritrea

Martyrs' Day (Eritrea) There are approximately sixteen nationally recognized public holidays in Eritrea. The most important National Day, national holidays are Independence Day (May 24), Martyrs' Day (June 20), and Revolution Day (September 1). Additional holidays follo ...

, is observed on June 20 of every year to honor the fallen heroes of Eritrea's warriors from the Yikealo and Warsay generations.

India

January 30 is recognised nationally as Martyrs' Day in India, to mark the

assassination of Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 at age 78 in the compound of The Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi. His assassin was Nathuram Godse, from Pune, Maharashtra, a Hindu nationalist, with ...

in 1948. A number of states and regions recognise other days as Martyrs' Days locally.

Lebanon

Martyrs' Day (Lebanon and Syria), commemorates the execution of Muslim and Christian Lebanese and Syrian Arab nationalists in Beirut (on what's now called Martyrs Square) by the Ottoman soldiers on May 6 1916 and martyrs of the Lebanese civil war, which took place 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 February revolution.

Madagascar

Martyrs' Day in the country, observed every 29 March, commemorates the beginning of the 1947 Malagasy Uprising.

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 (; ) is a day in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

that commemorates the servicemen killed during the two

World War A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all 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 War I ...

s and the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...

. 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. * 624 – First Eid al-Fitr celebration. * 1021 – The death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret ...

and honors the victims of the

1991 Malian coup d'état The 26 March 1991 Malian coup d'état resulted in the overthrow of President Moussa Traoré after over two decades of dictatorship and eventually led to multi-party elections. Background In 1968, Traoré had himself led a 1968 Malian coup d'éta ...

Nepal

In Nepal, Martyrs' Day () is celebrated on January 30, corresponding to Magh 16 () in the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar. Martyr (; Shahid) in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

is a term for someone 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 which was in place in the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...

from 1846 until 1951. There are five martyrs in Nepal. Lakhan Thapa is regarded as the first

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, 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 external party. In ...

of Nepal.

Netherlands

Remembrance of the Dead Remembrance of the Dead () is held annually on 4 May in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the ...

() is held annually on

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 reformer John Wycliffe is condemned a ...

in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...

who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Pakistan

or Youm-e-Shuhada is a Pakistani holiday held on 30 April to pay tribute to Pakistani military who died in service of their country.

Panama

Martyrs' Day (Panama), is a Panamanian holiday which commemorates the January 9 1964 riots over sovereignty of the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...

São Tomé and Príncipe

''Dia dos Mártires da Liberdade'', 3 February, commemorates the 1953 Batepá massacre.

South Korea

June 6th is served as

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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

in South Korea, on which all the Koreans who sacrificed themselves for the nation, especially the soldiers who served in

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, are commemorated. Also, November 17th is served as Patriotic Martyrs Day, on which patriots who devoted themselves to the retrieval of national sovereignty from the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

are commemorated. The date was chosen because of the Eulsa treaty, in which the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

was deprived of its diplomatic sovereignty by Japan, on November 17th, 1905.

South Sudan

30 July is Martyrs' Day in South Sudan commemorating the death of John Garang de Mabior, leader of the

Sudan People's Liberation Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the military force of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a key parti ...

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/Movement, Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil Wa ...

. 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 Martyrs' Day in

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

Syria

Martyrs' Day (Lebanon and Syria), commemorates the execution of Muslim and Christian Lebanese and Syrian Arab nationalists in Damascus and Beirut by the

on 6 May 1916.

Togo

21 June honours all who struggled for the freedom of Togo. It is celebrated with a military parade in

Lomé Lomé ( , ) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Togo, largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437

Tunisia

April 9, Martyr's Day remembers Tunisians killed in 1938.

Turkey

March 18, is recognised in remembrance of Turkish soldiers fallen in action. It is on the same date Ottoman forces defeated a naval attack of the Allied Powers in Gallipoli Campaign during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on March 18, 1915.

Uganda

In Uganda, Martyrs' Day is celebrated on June 3, mainly in honor of the Uganda Martyrs; Christian converts who were murdered for their religion in Uganda's biggest kingdom, Buganda in the late-1880s.

United Arab Emirates

Martyrs' Day (United Arab Emirates) Commemoration Day, also known as Martyrs' Day (Arabic: يوم الشهيد ''yawm ash-shahiid''), is a national holiday in the United Arab Emirates recognizing the sacrifices and dedication of Emirati martyrs who have given their life in the fie ...

also known as Commemoration Day (United Arab Emirates) will be marked annually on November 30, recognising the sacrifices and dedication of Emirati martyrs who have given their life in the UAE and abroad in the field of civil, military and humanitarian service.

United States

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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

(originally known as Decoration Day) is a

federal holiday in the United States Federal holidays in the United States are 11 calendar dates designated by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government as holidays. On these days non-essential U.S. federal government offices are closed and federal employ ...

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.

Vietnam

The Memorial Day for War Martyrs is recognised on 27 July, in Vietnam.

References

{{reflist Types of secular holidays January observances February observances March observances April observances May observances June observances July observances September observances