Rizal Day in 2024

When is Rizal Day?

This national holiday in the Philippines is celebrated annually on December 30th.

Known in the Philippines as 'Araw ng Kabayanihan ni Dr. Jose Rizal', this day marks the anniversary of the execution of José Rizal on this day in 1896.

History of Rizal Day

Dr. José Rizal is a National Hero of the Philippines, credited with playing a key role in starting the revolution against the Spanish colonisers.

Born on June 16th 1861 in the town of Calamba, Rizal was a doctor and a novelist. Writing from Europe, in his novel Noli me Tangere' (Touch me not), he denounced the corrupt rule of the Philippines by Spanish friars. Many historians agree that the ideas he raised in that novel and its sequel, 'El filibusterismo' (Reign of Greed), were heavy influences on the growing discontentment with Spanish rule and inspired the revolution.

While Rizal had no direct role in the nationalist insurrection, and never took part in any fighting; he was still seen as being involved with the revolutionary forces and was arrested and tried for treason. Rizal was executed by firing squad at Bagumbayan field, now known as Rizal Park, in Manila at 7 am on December 30th 1896.

The first president of the Philippines, Emilio Aguinaldo, commemorated the first Rizal Day in 1898 as a national day of mourning for Rizal in Malolos and all casualties of the Spanish colonial rule of the Philippines.

On February 1st 1902, the Philippine Commission enacted Act. No. 345, which officially declared December 30th as Rizal Day.

How is Rizal Day celebrated?

To mark the day, the Philippine flag is flown at half-mast across the country, and a service is led by the president at the Rizal Monument in Manila. Wreath laying-ceremonies are also held at the Rizal Shrine in Calamba and the Rizal Monument in Baguio City.

In recent years there have been attempts to move this holiday to Rizal's birthday, June 19th as the proximity of Christmas and New Year reduces the importance of the holiday and it would be seen by some as more fitting to celebrate his birth rather than commemorate his death.

Most workers have the day off as a paid workday. Those individuals who do need to work on Rizal Day are entitled to get twice their normal daily rate of wages.

On June 20th 2011, a special one-off non-working holiday was declared in honour of Rizal's 150th Birthday.

The Monumental Rizal

Today, as befits a country's national hero, there are statues of Rizal in nearly every municipality, town, and city plaza around the archipelago. His fame is such that monuments to Rizal aren't only found in the Philippines, but on almost every continent. This article from the Manila Bulletin looks at some of Rizal’s most important memorials in the Philippines and around the world.