Flag Day

Stamp celebrating 50th Flag Day of the Faroe Islands

A flag day is a flag-related holiday, a day designated for flying a certain flag (such as a national flag) or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag.

Flag days are usually codified in national statutes, however, in some countries a decree by the head of state can also order a flag day. The statute or decree may specify locations where flags are flown and how are they flown (for example, at full- or half-staff); alternatively, custom may prevail.^[1]

Specific flag days

Country/Territory/Continent	Date	Details
Afghanistan	August 19	Independence day, 1919.
Albania	November 28	Independence day, 1443, then again, 1912.
Argentina	June 20	Anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano, who created the current flag.
Aruba	March 18	Flag day. Adoption of the national flag on March 18, 1976.
Australia	September 3	Australian National Flag Day commemorates the first flying of the Australian National Flag in 1901.
Azerbaijan	November 9	State Flag Day, was officially established on November 9, 2009,[2] for the commemoration of the adoption of the Flag of Azerbaijan on November 9, 1918.[3]
Åland	Last Sunday of April	Commemorates adoption of the Åland flag. (April 26, 2015; April 24, 2016; April 30, 2017; April 29, 2018)
Bolivia	August 17	Flag Day in Bolivia. Commemorates of the creation of the first national flag.
Brazil	November 19	Flag Day in Brazil; adopted in 1889
Canada	February 15	National Flag of Canada Day commemorates adoption of the Canadian flag, Feb. 15, 1965.
Colombia	July 20 August 7	Declaration of Independence (1810) (Celebrated as National Day); Battle of Boyaca (1819)
Curaçao	July 2	Dia di Bandera ("Day of the Flag"). Adoption of the national flag on 2 July 1984.
Denmark	June 15	Valdemarsdag, the anniversary of King Valdemar's victory in the Battle of Lyndanisse (present day Tallinn, Estonia) in 1219, where according to legend, the Dannebrog fell from the sky. It is also the anniversary of the return of North Slesvig in 1920 to Denmark following the post-World War I plebiscite.
Ecuador	September 26	"Day of the National Flag" ("Dia de la Bandera Nacional"). Date when the tricolour was reinstated in 1860, two days
Estonia	June 4	"Eesti lipu päev" (National Flag Day). Date when the Flag of Estonia was consecrated in 1884.[4]
European Union	May 9	Europe Day commemorates the Schuman Declaration.
Finland	Midsummer's Day	"Suomen lipun päivä", "Finlands flaggas dag" ("Day of Finland's flag") celebrated annually since 1934. There are also several other flag days in Finland. Celebrated on the Saturday in June 20–26 (June 20, 2015; June 25, 2016; June 24, 2017; June 23, 2018).
Faroe Islands	April 25	The British occupation of the Faroe Islands during World War II led to the adoption of the Merkið that day in 1940.
Georgia	January 14	საქართველოს სახელმწიფო დროშის დღე (sak'art'velos sakhelmts'ip'o droshis dghe, "Day of the State Flag of Georgia"), (2004).[5]
Greece	October 27	"Ημέρα της σημαίας (imera tis simeas,"Day of the Flag")
Haiti	May 18	Commemorates the creation of Haiti's flag at the 1803 Arcahaye Conference.
Honduras	September 1	Commemorates the introducing of their first leader on Lake Yojoa.
Hungary	March 16	The day after the 1848 revolution in Pest-Buda.
India	December 7	Armed Forces Flag Day honours the soldiers, airmen and sailors of India. The Armed Forces Flag Day or the Flag Day of India is a day dedicated towards collection of funds from people of India for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel. It has been observed annually in India on December 7 since 1949. Over the years, it has become a tradition to commemorate this day as an honour to the soldiers, airmen and sailors of India.
Ireland	April 24	The 'Easter Rising Commemoration' (Comóradh Éirí Amach na Cásca) commemorates the beginning of the Easter Rising of 1916. An army parade on O'Connell Street in Dublin is attended by the President of Ireland, the Taoiseach and other government ministers. The Irish 'tricolour' was adopted by the rebels of 1916.
Italy	January 7	Festa del tricolore ("Festival of the Tricolour") commemorates adoption of the Italian flag in 1797.
Liberia	August 24	Flag day The holiday was first observed in an 1847 convention, when the founding fathers approved the flag's design along with establishing the new republic.[6]
Lithuania	January 1	Vėliavos diena ("Flag's day") commemorates raising of the Lithuanian flag on Gediminas' Tower in 1919.
Macedonia	Every 1st and 15th day of each month.	Ден на македонското знаме (Den na makedonskoto zname, "Day of the Macedonian Flag"). Every 1st and 15th day of each month, the flag is changed in special ceremony. This celebrates the adoption of the flag.[7]
Mexico	February 24
Moldova	April 27
Norway	May 17	Celebration of the Norwegian Constitution, signed on 17 May 1814. Now the national day of Norway.
Pakistan	August 11	The National Assembly adopted the country's flag on this day.
Panama	November 4	An annual public holiday in Panama that forms a bridge holiday between Separation Day and Colon Day.
Paraguay	May 14	The real date of the independence of Paraguay from Spain in 1811. Celebration continues the next main day, Independence Day.
Peru	June 7	Commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Arica and the sacrifice of Alfonso Ugarte.
Philippines	May 28	Araw ng Watawat ("Flag Day"), the anniversary of the 1898 Battle of Alapan where the flag was first used. Display of the flag in all places until Independence Day is encouraged, provided it follows Republic Act 8491.[8]
Poland	May 2	A holiday introduced in 2004, it commemorates raising the flag on Siegessäule during the Battle of Berlin.
Portugal	December 1	A holiday introduced in 1910, it commemorates raising the flag on Restauradores Square on the anniversary of Restoration of Independence.
Romania	June 26	A holiday introduced in 1998, it celebrates Decree No. 1 of the Wallachian Provisional Government, which made the blue-yellow-red tricolour the national flag.
Russia	August 22	Commemorates raising of the present flag over the Russian Supreme Soviet building after a 1991 coup attempt.
Slovenia	April 7	Commemorates the anniversary of the first raising of the national flag in 1848 at Wolfova Street 8, Ljubljana.
Sweden	June 6	Svenska flaggans dag ("Day of the Swedish Flag"), observed since the late 19th century. Also the National Day of Sweden since 1983.
Sri Lanka	February 4	Independence Day ("National Day of the Sri Lanka Flag"), The independence day of Sri Lanka is a great national occasion celebrated with parades and pageants combined with the spirit of patriotism and national pride. National Day of Sri Lanka since 1948.
Turkmenistan	February 19	Commemorates the adoption of the nation's first flag after gaining independence from the Soviet Union.
Ukraine	August 23	День Державного прапора (Den Derzhavnoho prapora, "National Flag Day") commemorates the adoption of the Ukrainian flag; observed since 2004.[9]
UAE	November 3	Flag Day is celebrated on the day Sheikh Khalifa became President in 2004. It also commemorates the founders of the state, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid. The UAE flag was adopted in a different day on December 2, 1971.
United Kingdom  England  Scotland  Wales  Northern Ireland	April 23 November 30 March 1 March 17	St. George's Day St. Andrew's Day St. David's Day St. Patrick's Day
United States	June 14	Flag Day Commemorates adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777.
Vietnam	March 11	Flag Day Independence day (Day of the National Flag), 1945.[10]
Venezuela	August 3	Commemorates the first raising of the flag by Francisco de Miranda in Venezuelan soil, 1806. Formerly on March 12.

See also

• National Day
• Republic Day
• Public holiday

Notes

External links

• Media related to Flag day at Wikimedia Commons