All Countries • All Holidays • Major ReligionsJanuary HolidaysAzerbaijan Remembers Its Martyrs
Martyr’s Day: January 20Martyr’s Day is a public holiday in Azerbaijan. January 20 in Azerbaijan commemorates Black January in 1990, when Soviet troops entered the city of Baku and killed more than 180 civilians. It is celebrated as the rebirth of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is also a remembrance of the victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1988. This day in Azerbaijan is also known as Qara Yanvar (Day of National Mourning), Day of Shehids, or Remembrance Day.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo Remembers Patrice Lumumba
Heroes’ Day (Patrice Lumumba): January 17Heroes’ Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the night hours of January 17, 1961, Patrice Lumumba was assassinated, sending the country (then known as the Republic of the Congo) into turmoil. The reason for his assassination is filled with political intrigue and cold war propaganda, but Lumumba is today honored as a national hero. The government sets aside one of two Heroes’ Days each year to remember Lumumba for his fight to bring “human dignity” to the county.
Bhutan Celebrates Traditional Day of Offering
Traditional Day of Offering: January 16Traditional Day of Offering is a public holiday in Bhutan. The Traditional Day of Offering is a time of thanks and offerings for the Bhutanese people, typically directed towards Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the famous unifier of kingdom and culture in Bhutan during the early seventeenth century. The day is locally known as buelwa phuewi nyim.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is Commemorated in the United States
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: January 16Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday in the United States and its territories. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday celebrated in the United States commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is celebrated annually on the third Monday in January. The holiday is notable as one of only four federal holidays that recognizes an individual.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo Remembers Laurent Kabila
Heroes’ Day (Laurent Kabila): January 16Heroes’ Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On May 17, 1997, Laurent Kabila took control of the country formerly known as Zaire, suspending the constitution and renaming the country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Having overthrown the previous dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, some heralded Kabila as a much-needed change for the country. But other people concluded that Kabila was no better than Mobutu, assassinating Kabila in 2001. Today, the government sets aside one of two Heroes’ Days to remember Kabila.
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