Diplomatic Calendar: Holidays & Observances

This public holiday is always celebrated on 18 April. This holiday marks independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 and is the National Day of Zimbabwe. History of Zimbabwean Independence Day Zimbabwe was first influenced by Europeans with the arrival of The British South Africa Company in the 1890s. The company had been founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889 to colonise the region. The area become known as Southern Rhodesia (in honour of Cecil Rhodes) in 1895 and was governed by the British South Africa Company until 1922, when the European settlers voted to become a British Colony. In 1953, Britain created the Central African Federation, made up of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Nyasaland (Malawi). Following the breakup of the Federation in 1964, when Zambia and Malawi gained independence, Ian Smith became Prime Minister of the country (now called Rhodesia). Smith began a campaign for independence from Britain, with the government being run by the white minority. Independence was declared in 1965, but was not recognised internationally and led to sanctions against the country. This also led to an extensive campaign of guerilla warfare within Rhodesia and the rise of the Zanu and Zapu organisations. Under this pressure, the white minority finally consented to multiracial elections in 1980. Robert Mugabe and his Zanu party won the independence elections, with Mugabe becoming Prime Minister and Zimbabwe's independence being formally recognised on 18 April 1980.

Yom Ha'atzma'ut, Israeli Independence Day, commemorates the declaration of independence of Israel in 1948. It falls on the 5th day of the Jewish lunar month Iyyar. The Gregorian date for the day in which Israel independence was proclaimed is May 14th, 1948 when David ben Gurion publicly read the Proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel, and the end of the British Mandate in Israel. When the 5th of Iyar falls on a Friday or Saturday, as in 2005, the official celebration may be moved to the preceding Thursday. How is Independence Day in Israel celebrated? An official ceremony is held every year on Mount Herzl on the eve of Yom Ha'atzma'ut. The ceremony include speeches from senior Israeli officials, an artistic part, a ritual march of soldiers carrying the Flag of Israel, forming elaborate structures (such as a Menorah, Magen David and a number which represents the age of Israel) and the lighting of twelve beacons (each for every one of the Tribes of Israel). Each year, dozens of Israeli citizens who contributed to the state, are selected to light the beacons. The annual international Bible Quiz competition finals take place after the ceremony. A highlight of the day is the cross-country flyover of military jets and helicopters. Independence Day is preceded by Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) which has been Israel's official remembrance day since it was enacted into law in 1963. As well as the traditional remembrance of those who have fallen while on active duty for their country, the day also commemorates the civilian victims of terrorism. *Like other Jewish holidays, Yom Ha'atzma'ut will begin at sundown on the previous day.

St. George's Day is England's National Day, though it is not a national holiday afforded to the patron saints of other countries within the United Kingdom, like St. Andrew's Day in Scotland or St. Patrick's Dayin Northern Ireland. It is celebrated annually on 23 April, as this is the generally accepted date of St. George's death. In addition to England, St George is the patron saint of Portugal, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, and many cities across Europe. St. George's Day is also a regional holiday in the Aragon region of Spain and a provincial government holiday in Newfoundland, Canada. It is also a holiday for government and schools in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. St. George is the patron saint of many other organizations, including the Scout Movement, who have celebrated St. George's Day on April 23 since its inception. In certain countries, it may also be known as Georgemas. Who was St. George? St. George was a cavalryman in the Roman army at Lydda, now in modern-day Israel. He was a Christian at a time when Rome was ruled by the emperor Diocletian, who was anti-Christian. He refused to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. As a result, he was tortured over several years and eventually suffered a martyr's death, when he was beheaded in 303 AD. He began to be venerated around the fifth century when a monastery was built and dedicated to him in Jerusalem. The Dragon Slayer Nowadays, it's not George's martyrdom that propelled him to popularity, but the tales of his heroism in slaying dragons and rescuing maidens. These stories started to appear sometime in the 11th Century and become famous across all of Europe and parts of Asia. One version of the tale describes a dragon that would come from the sea to terrorise a nearby town. The locals offered animals each day to keep the monster from attacking further. When they ran out of animals, they became more desperate and started sacrificing humans. One day a princess was selected and about to be taken by the Dragon. Just as it was looking like the princesses fate was about to be sealed, St. George rode in on a white horse, and drove a lance down the throat of the beast. St. George fighting the dragon from horseback is certainly the most enduring image from these stories. The dragon killer legends have been said to symbolize the victory of Christianity over paganism. The Rise and Fall and Rise of St. George's Day in England Compared to the other parts of the United Kingdom, St George seems to fare rather badly in terms of recognition of his national day. In England it is barely acknowledged even though the national saint's days are holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Most English people would struggle to recall even the date of St. George's Day This wasn't always the case. His martyrdom was known in England from about 750AD. And in the 13th Century, his feast day was noted as a lesser holy day. His popularity increased with the Crusades as soldiers returned from the battlefront telling stories about St. George that they had heard while in the Middle East. It was King Edward III introduced the battle cry "St. George for England" and later founded the Order of the Garter, with St. George as its patron. To mark the day, the Queen will announce new appointments to the Order of the Garter on St. George's Day. After the battle of Agincourt, St. George's day was recognised as a major feast. However its popularity had declined to its present day levels by the start of the nineteenth century. Quite how this Roman soldier became the patron saint of England is unclear. Maybe if George had closer ties to England, then celebrating his feast day would be more popular. There is certainly no indication that George was English, and no evidence that he even ever visited England. St. George seems to be enjoying something a recent resurgence in popularity. Some politicians and media have been pushing to make his feast day the national holiday of England. Organizations such as the Royal Society of Saint George and St George's Day Events are actively lobbying for more recognition of St. George's Day. An interesting development is that some have proposed that St. George should be replaced by another Saint as the Patron Saint of England, given George's lack of connection with England. This is unlikely as St. Edmund, St. Cuthbert or St. Alban, who have all been touted as possible substitutes; do not carry any great degree of national awareness or affection.

This is a national holiday which was declared in 2014 to maintain the tradition of a holiday to celebrate the monarch of the Netherlands. It is the National Day of the Netherlands and is celebrated annually on 27 April, unless it falls on a Sunday, in which case Saturday 26 April will be the observed holiday. History of King's Day in the Netherlands The day officially commemorates the birthday of Willem Alexander who became King of the Netherlands following the abdication of Queen Beatrix on 30 April 2013. Willem Alexander was born in Utrecht on 27 April 1967. The tradition of a holiday to honour the current monarch began in 1890. Initially it celebrated the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina on 31 August. From 1949, the day celebrated of the birthday of Wilhelmina's daughter, Queen Juliana, on 30 April. The tradition of changing the holiday to match the birthday of the reigning monarch took a break when Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana in 1980. Beatrix decided to keep that the Queen's Day on April 30 as a tribute to her mother. Additionally her own birthday is at the end of January 31, so celebrating it outdoors would have been difficult. With Willem Alexander's ascension to the throne in 2104, his birthday was close enough to the old date to make the switch happen without causing any issues. How is King's Birthday Celebrated? Traditionally, on this day the King visits one of the cities in the country, and meets some of those who have come out to celebrate his birthday. On King's day many people will celebrate by dressing in orange clothes (the royal family are the House of Orange), painting faces and hair orange and wearing mock orange crowns. A popular pastime on King's Day is going to a flea market. King’s Day is the only day of the year when the Dutch government allows street selling without a permit and without the payment of value added tax, so most cities and town will host large flea markets (vrijmarkt) with people having saved up their used or unwanted goods to sell. As this is an official public holiday, banks, post offices, and many businesses will be closed. Some stores are open as usual, but trading hours may be changed. Public transport usually runs to a normal or special timetable and there may even be extra train services to help people get home from large celebrations in the cities.

Independence Day is a public holiday in Sierra Leone. It is observed on 27 April. This day is the National Day of Sierra Leone and commemorates independence from Great Britain on 27 April 1961. History of Independence Day in Sierra Leone Since the 15th century, Sierra Leone had been an important staging post for European colonists. The region reputedly got its name from a Portuguese explorer who named the shape of the local hills after a lioness - Sierra Leone. The British began to take an active role in Sierra Leone as both a trading port to send slaves from and as a place for freed American slaves to live following evacuation in the American War of Independence. The capital, Freetown, was founded as a home for repatriated former slaves in 1787. British colonial control of Sierra Leone began in the early 1800s. After 1807, when the British Parliament passed an act making the slave trade illegal, the new colony was used as a base from which the act could be enforced. In 1951, the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) was formed and some local powers were given in 1953. The first parliamentary elections took place in May 1957 with the SLPP winning the most seats under the leadership of Sir Milton Margai. Did you know? Despite being only the 117th largest country in the world, Sierra Leone has the largest natural harbour in the African continent and the third largest in the world at Freetown's Queen Elizabeth II Quay. In April 1960, a series of conferences were held and as a result, at midnight on 27 April 1961, Sierra Leone was granted its independence from the UK ending almost 150 years of British colonial rule. In the ceremony at Brookfields Playground in Freetown, the Duke of Kent handed over royal instruments recognising Sierra Leone as an independent nation as the nation's new flag was unfurled in front of the cheering crowds. Sir Milton Margai became the first Prime Minister of Sierra Leone.

Independence Day is a public holiday in Togo. It is observed on 27 April. This day is the National Day of Togo and commemorates independence from France on 27 April 1960. History of Independence Day in Togo Starting in the 16th century, the costal region around modern-day Togo became a major trading center for Europeans to search for slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". Did you know? The name Togo comes from the language spoken by the local tribes and means "land where lagoons lie". In 1884, Germany declared a region that included the area of modern-day Togo as a protectorate called Togoland. Togoland was conquered by Anglo-French forces at the onset of World War I in 1914. Following Germany's defeat in 1918, the region was divided into British Togoland in the west and French Togoland in the east. Both Britain and France had mandates from the League of Nations, which became United Nations mandates from 1946. In 1956, British Togoland voted to join Ghana when it gained its independence from Britain. In 1959, French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union. The Togolese Republic was proclaimed on 27 April 1960. Sylvanus Olympio became the first president after the first presidential elections in 1961.