National days, independence days and founding anniversaries — what each one marks, and how the country celebrates it.
Festivals & celebrations
The meaning and traditions behind the world’s biggest celebrations — written for travellers, not tourists.
Public holidays by country
National days sit inside each country’s holiday calendar. Start with the country you care about.
2026 holidays around the world
Every 2026 public holiday we track, grouped by region.
The fastest-moving part of the calendar
National days are where the holiday calendar changes most. Dates get revised, names get changed, and how a country marks the occasion shifts with politics and culture. A national day is a statement about identity, which is exactly why it is the least stable entry in any calendar.
We track the current date, the year it was established, and what it commemorates — plus how the day is actually spent, which is often quite different from the official description.
Where they sit in the calendar
A national day is usually also a public holiday, so it appears in the country’s main calendar as well. Start with public holidays by country for the dates, and come back here for the story behind them.