What is Liberation Day?
Liberation Day is used for different anniversaries. Italy marks it on 25 April, the date in 1945 on which the National Liberation Committee called a general uprising in the north of the country, which ended the German occupation and the fascist regime. The Netherlands celebrates on 5 May, the day in 1945 when German forces in the Netherlands capitulated, and it is observed with festivals of freedom across the country. The holiday is among the most solemn and also the most contested in Italy, where political parties sometimes disagree on its meaning.
On the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey celebrate on 9 May, the day in 1945 when German forces surrendered the 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 led to the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Albania celebrates on 29 November, the liberation of the country from German occupation in 1944, at the end of the Second World War. In both cases the day is linked to the memory of the Second World War and to resistance movements.
Why it is observed
Liberation days commemorate the end of occupation, but the occupations differ. In Western Europe they are mostly linked to the end of the Second World War and the withdrawal of German forces, and the anniversaries fall in spring 1945. In Bulgaria the day commemorates the end of nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule, and in Albania, it marks the end of the German occupation and the start of the communist period. Because of such differences, the tone varies from joyful festivals in the Netherlands to solemn commemoration and political debate in other countries.
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 an official day of celebration, but it is a day off only for some employers or in some years, which is often tied to a five-year cycle. In Italy, 25 April is a firm public holiday. Because details vary, check the specific holiday page for each country. Pay and time off depend on national law and the contract. Check the country page for details.
Albania
Bulgaria
Guernsey
Italy