What is Liberation Day?
Liberation Day is used for different anniversaries. Italy marks it on 25 April, the date in 1945 on which the Committee of National Liberation for Upper Italy called a general insurrection, which led to the end of German occupation and of the fascist regime in the north. The Netherlands celebrates on 5 May, the day in 1945 when the German capitulation in the Netherlands was agreed at Wageningen, and the day is marked by festivals of freedom across the country. In Italy the day is among the most solemn and also the most contested, since political parties sometimes disagree about its meaning.
On Jersey and Guernsey, Liberation Day is 9 May, the day in 1945 when German forces surrendered the Channel Islands after five years of occupation. Bulgaria marks Liberation Day on 3 March, the anniversary of the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, which ended the Russo-Turkish war and set up an autonomous Bulgaria after nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule. Albania celebrates on 29 November, the date in 1944 when the country was cleared of German forces. The Second World War links most of these days, but Bulgaria's concerns a much older struggle.
Why it is observed
Liberation days commemorate the end of occupation or foreign rule, but the occupations differ. In Western Europe they mostly relate to the end of the Second World War and the withdrawal of German forces in spring 1945. Italy first marked 25 April in 1946 and made it permanent in 1949. In Bulgaria, the day commemorates the end of Ottoman rule, with full independence following in 1908. In Albania it marks the end of the German occupation and the start of the communist period. The tone therefore varies, from joyful festivals in the Netherlands to solemn commemoration and political debate elsewhere.
How the date is set
There is no single date. Liberation Day is a generic name for the anniversary of a country's liberation from occupation or foreign rule, and the date depends on the country. Most are fixed dates, in spring or autumn.
How it is observed
Where it is a public holiday, banks, offices, schools and most shops close, and there are ceremonies, concerts and sometimes parades. In the Netherlands, 5 May is a national holiday in law, but it is a paid day off for most workers only in some years, by tradition every fifth year, and often depends on the employer or collective agreement; 2027 is not one of those years. In Italy, 25 April is a firm public holiday. In 2027 the dates include 3 March in Bulgaria, 25 April in Italy, 9 May in Guernsey and 29 November in Albania. Pay and time off depend on national law and the contract.
Sources
Albania
Bulgaria
Guernsey
Italy
Jersey
Netherlands