1 January in Slovak Republic The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially called
The day of establishment of Slovak republic.
9 January in Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) After
Yugoslavia fell apart,
Serbs in
Bosnia and Herzegovina wanted to stay with
Serbia and
Montenegro.
Croats and
Bosniaks, on the other hand, wanted to create an independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 9 January 1992, Bosnian Serb authorities declared the creation of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, now called
Republika Srpska ("Serb Republic", not to be confused with the
Republic of Serbia) as a state within the country of Bosnia of Herzegovina. Republika Srpska now celebrates Republic Day on the anniversary of the state's creation.
23 January in Philippines 26 January in India during the annual Republic Day Parade in 2004. The
Constitution of India came into force, and India declared itself a Republic on 26 January 1950, a day thereafter celebrated annually as
Republic Day in
India. The Constitution had been drafted by the
Constituent Assembly which was set up when India gained its independence from the British in 1947. This was a deliberate act: The 26 January was initially India's "Independence Day", one of Mahatma Gandhi's many symbolic acts during India's struggle for freedom against British colonial rule, and the adoption of the Constitution on this date was felt able to strengthen its initial meaning, one calling for Indians of all ages to declare their freedom from the
British Raj by Mahatama Gandhi. It is one of three
national holidays in India, the other two being the nation's
Independence Day on 15 August (since 1947) and the
birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 2 October. To mark this occasion, a grand parade is held near
Kartavya Path, formerly
Rajpath in
New Delhi, beginning from
Raisina Hill near the
Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), along the Kartavya path, past
India Gate and on to the historic
Red Fort in the old quarter of the city. Different infantry, cavalry and mechanized regiments of the
Indian Army, the
Indian Marines and the
Indian Air Force march in formation, decked in all their finery and official decorations. The
President of India, who is also the
Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The
Chief Guest of the parade is the Head of State or Head of Government of another nation. The parade also includes many traditional dance troupes, to symbolize the cultural heritage of India. It traditionally ends with a colourful
flypast by
Indian Air Force jets in a
tiranga formation. Similar parades are held in the
capitals of all the states of India, where the Governors of the respective states take the salute. The official conclusion of Republic Day festivities is much later on 30 January, four days after the Republic Day. ==February==