If you are not Thai then you will probably want to acknowledge your home country’s National Day in one way or another. Try to find a restaurant featuring the cuisine and traditional activities familiar to you. But before we begin with some of the international National days, we cannot forget Thailand’s National Day, also the birthday of His Majesty The King of Thailand on 5th December. This important National Day features more completely in an article in this edition.
December 1st Romania National Day
Romania National Day marks the country’s unification in 1918 and the formation of the Romanian state within its present-day boundaries. Romania’s full independence had been recognised in 1878 but it was not until December 1, 1918 in the city of Alba Iulia, when Romania – made of Moldova and Wallachia at the time – was united with Transylvania, Crisana, Banat and the Maramures area. National Day has been celebrated in Romania since 1990, after the fall of the Romanian Communist Party.
December 2nd Laos National Day
December 2nd, 1975, the Pathet Lao; literally “the Lao people,” (the name of the Communist Party) announces the abolition of the monarchy (as of 29th November, the King and Queen Savang Vatthana Khamphoui were forced to abdicate), and proclaims the democratic Republic of Laos. Prince Souphanouvong Thao was then sworn in as President. The new flag was introduced: blue, white and red … the colour red represents the blood shed for independence, and the blue represents the Mekong, or health of the country. The white disc symbolises the moon over the Mekong, or the unity of the country under the Communist government.
December 6th Finland Independence Day
Finland’s Independence Day (Finnish:itsenäisyyspäivä) is a national public holiday, and a flag day, held on 6 th December to celebrate Finland’s declaration of independence from the Russian Republic in 1917. During the early decades of independence, Independence Day was a very solemn occasion marked by patriotic speeches and special church services. From the 1970s onwards, however, Independence Day celebrations have taken livelier forms, with shops decorating their windows in the blue and white of the Finnish flag,
December 12th Kenya Jamhuri Day
Jamhuri Day is a national holiday in Kenya, Jamhuri is the Swahili word for “republic” and the holiday is meant to officially mark the date of Kenya’s establishment as a republic which happened on 12th December 1964. The country also gained full independence from the United Kingdom one year earlier on 12th December 1963, so Jamhuri Day is a double event and is generally regarded as Kenya’s most important holiday, marked by numerous cultural festivities which celebrate the country’s cultural heritage.
December 16th Bangladesh Victory Day
On 16th December 1971, Lieutenant General Amir Khan Niazi, CO of Pakistan Armed Forces located in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender. The Instrument of Surrender was a written agreement that enabled the surrender of the Pakistan Eastern Command in the Bangladesh Liberation War, and marked the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the Eastern Theater.
