Public holidays in North Korea

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed This is a list of public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays. Template:As of, the North Korean calendar has 71 official public holidays, including Sundays.<ref name="KangMiJin2016">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the past, North Koreans relied on rations provided by the state on public holidays for feasts. Recently, with marketization people are able to save up money and buy the goods they need.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Day of the Sun, the birthday of its founder and first leader Kim Il Sung, on 15 April is the most important holiday in the country.<ref name="usat_Kore">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The second most important is the Day of the Shining Star on 16 February, the birthday of Kim Jong Il.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:As of, Kim Jong Un's birthday is still not a public holiday.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other holidays of great importance are the Party Foundation Day (10 October) and the Day of the Foundation of the Republic (9 September).<ref name="Seoul2002">Template:Cite book</ref> North Koreans often schedule their wedding days on important national holidays.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

North Korea regularly carries out missile and nuclear tests on such important anniversaries.<ref name="usne_CIAO">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of annual holidays

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Date	English name	Notes	Remarks	Local name
1 January	New Year's Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Celebrates the opening of the Gregorian New Year. || ||
15 January	Chosongul Day	The day commemorates the invention (1443) and the proclamation (1446) of Chosongul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. King Sejong the Great, inventor of Chosongul, is one of the most honored rulers in Korean history.
8 February	Army Day<ref name="Young Pioneers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || The Korean People's Army was established on 8 February 1948, and that day was celebrated as Army Day until 1978, when it was moved to 25 April (q.v.). It was reinstated as a public holiday in 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || ||
16 February	Day of the Shining Star<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| 2 days ||
2 March	Tree Planting Day	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:YouTube</ref> || ||
8 March	International Women's Day<ref name="DailyNK"/>	Commemorates the history of women across the country.
last day of 12th lunar month	Seotdal Geumeum	Korean New Year, based on the Korean calendar.
1st day of 1st lunar month	Seolmyeongjeol	Korean New Year, based on the Korean calendar.
15 April	Day of the Sun<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Birthday of Kim Il Sung.	3 days	lang}}
21 April	Kang Pan Suk's birthday	Commemorates the birth of Kim Il Sung's mother.
25 April	Military Foundation Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Kim Il Sung moved the date from 8 February to the date of establishment of his guerilla army in 1932, considered the predecessor of the Korean People's Army.		lang}}
15th day of 1st lunar month	Daeboreum	Based on the Korean calendar.
1st day of 2nd lunar month	Template:Ill	Based on the Korean calendar.
3rd day of 3rd lunar month	Samjinnal	Based on the Korean calendar.
105th day after Winter Solstice	Hansik	Based on the Korean calendar.
8th day of 4th lunar month	Chopail	Based on the Korean calendar.
1 May	International Workers' Day (Labor Day) <ref name="LeeSangYong2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Celebrates the economic and social achievements of workers.
1 June	International Children's Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>
6 June	Korean Children's Union Foundation Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Public holiday marking the 1946 foundation of the Korean Children's Union.
19 June	Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's commencement of work in the Workers' Party Central Committee	Officially a public holiday since 2015 but celebrated unofficially before, this holiday marks Kim Jong Il's 1964 graduation from Kim Il Sung University and start of work in the party organization.<ref name="LeeSangYong2014"/>
5th day of 5th lunar month	Surinal	Based on the Korean calendar.
3 July	Day of the Strategic Forces<ref name="KangMiJin2016"/>	A new holiday established on 24 June 2016 by Ordinance No. 1177 of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly which commemorates the foundation of the Korean People's Army Strategic Force on 3 July 1999.
27 July	Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	The 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement		lang}}
15 August	Liberation Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Established after the liberation of Korea in 1945.		lang}}
25 August	Day of Songun<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	A new holiday established in 2013 commemorating Kim Jong Il's inspection visit to the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105th Armored Division of the Korean People's Army on August 25, 1960, which is always regarded as the "start of the Songun revolutionary leadership" by the North Korean government.		lang}}
28 August	Youth Day		lang}}
9 September	Day of the Foundation of the Republic<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948.		lang}}
15th day of 6th lunar month	Template:Ill	Based on the Korean calendar.
7th day of 7th lunar month	Chilseok	Based on the Korean calendar.
15th day of 7th lunar month	Baekjung	Based on the Korean calendar.
15th day of 8th lunar month	Chuseok	Based on the Korean calendar, North Korean Mid-Autumn Festival.
10 October	Party Foundation Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Founding of the Workers' Party of Korea in 1945.		lang}}
9th day of 9th lunar month	Jungyangjeol	Based on the Korean calendar.
16 November	Mother's Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/><ref name="LeeSangYong2014"/>	A new holiday from 2012 onward honoring all mothers.
18 November	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Dedicated to celebrating a Hwasong-15 ICBM launch that took place on November 29, 2017 || ||{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
20 December	Dongji	Winter solstice, based on the Korean calendar.
24 December	Kim Jong Suk's birthday	Commemorates the birth of Kim Jong Il's mother.
27 December	Constitution Day<ref name="SeolSongAh2015"/>	Enactment of the Socialist Constitution of North Korea in 1972.
31 December	New Year's Eve	Celebrates the closing of the Gregorian Year.

Momentous changes in political holidays in North Korean calendars

During some years, certain dates related with the Kim regime are additionally designated as public holidays for propaganda purposes.

In the 2014 version of the North Korean calendar, "Generalissimo Day" (대원수추대일) briefly became a holiday that honors when Kim Jong Il posthumously received the title "Generalissimo of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in 2012.<ref name="DailyNK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2015 calendar, a new public holiday was to be celebrated on June 19, marking the date in 1964 when Kim Jong Il graduated from Kim Il Sung University and began working as part of the Party’s organizational leadership. Various events related to the commemorative day take place every year on this date in North Korea, but this was the first time it has been recognized as a national holiday. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2017 calendar, July 3 became a public holiday called "Day of the Strategic Forces" (전략군절).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Culture of North Korea
• List of Korean traditional festivals
• North Korean calendar
• Public holidays in South Korea

External links

• Template:YouTube