When is Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day?
Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day is a state holiday in Croatia and is always celebrated on August 5th.
The full title of the holiday is 'Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders'. In Croatian, it is known as 'Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i dan hrvatskih branitelja'.
The holiday commemorates the liberation of the city of Knin on this day in 1995.
History of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day
On August 5th 1995, the Croatian Army took the city of Knin from Serbian forces in a military offensive known as Operation Storm.
The victory at Knin brought an end to the Republic of Serbian Krajina, which had been a Serb territory in Croatia.
The War of Independence ended on November 12th 1995 with the Erdut agreement between the authorities of the Republic of Croatia and the local Serb authorities of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia region.
How is Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day celebrated?
Knin is the focus of the celebrations marking the event. Mass is followed by the laying of wreaths in honour of those who lost their lives during the conflict. Thousands gather in the streets to watch a parade and the national flag of Croatia is ceremonially hoisted at the medieval fortress overlooking Knin.
This day has been a public holiday in Croatia since 2002. In 2008, the Parliament assigned the name 'Day of the Croatian Defenders' to the holiday.
