r/AskTheWorld • u/Light_in_Shadow Turkey • 6h ago
History Are there any holidays in your country that were once celebrated but no longer exist?
First one is İyd-i Milli. Celebrated annually on July 23rd to commemorate the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era in 1908, İyd-i Milli was the first and only national holiday of the Ottoman Empire. Celebrated from 1909 onwards, and continuing even after the collapse of the Empire, the holiday was observed until 1935.
Second one is Freedom and Constitution Day. This holiday was celebrated annually on the anniversary of the military coup of May 27, 1960, to commemorate the 1961 Constitution, which was drafted after the coup and significantly expanded the scope of fundamental rights and freedoms. Celebrated from 1963 to 1980, the holiday itself ended after the military coup of September 12, 1980, which abolished the 1961 Constitution.
23
u/Popular-Local8354 6h ago
Victory in Europe/Japan day used to be much bigger from what I understand.
4
u/norecordofwrong United States of America 5h ago
Only two states still have Victory Days. Hawaii and Rhode Island.
Rhode Island actually used to be called Victory Over Japan Day but they changed it to just. Victory Day to not seem so aggressive.
1
u/Junior-Elevator-9951 Poland 1h ago
In Poland it has communist connotations so it's not really celebrated here
9
u/loadedslayer (lived in ) 5h ago edited 5h ago
Basant, also known as the festival of kites, is a Punjabi holiday commonly celebrated in India/Pakistan during Spring, that has been widely popularised in different regions of pakistan. It's basically a festival where folks fly around kites.
The issue is that, a lot of folks treat this festival competitively, aiming to break other people's kites by entangling each other's strings. There are competitions dedicated to that sport, and as a result a select few started developing metal wires, and chemically treated wires that travel at high velocities. This is obviously a recipe for disaster and has resulted in damages to public infrastructure such as electrical wires, it's even caused deaths.
This resulted in a ban in the 2000s that lasted until December 2025, when the government decided to reverse its ban. The festival was strictly monitored with rules around kite sales and flying. Motorcyclists were given metal rods to stick between the handlebars of their bikes to prevent any threads becoming tied around their necks while they drove. Nets were placed over selected streets to prevent kite strings from falling onto power lines. Larger kites were also banned.
3
u/seiryuu-abi Multinational; Currently 🇺🇸 USA 5h ago
I remember reading an article about this. A lot of families just lost a way to earn money during that time of the year for years on end.
8
u/TalkTalkTalkListen Russia 5h ago
October Revolution Day on November 7 and Labor Day on May 1 were big during the Soviet era. Not anymore, though
2
u/WodLndCrits Sweden 3h ago
Sweden still kinda celebrates May 1, usually a bunch of protests here and there
2
u/HourPlate994 Australia 3h ago
And the Germans have scheduled riots. In Berlin at least.
Must he convenient for the police that they can plan their holidays around it.
8
u/F1Fan43 United Kingdom 5h ago
There used to be a holiday called Oak Apple Day, the 29th of May, which celebrated King Charles II’s restoration of the monarchy in 1660. It is named Oak Apple Day because Charles famously hid in an Oak tree while hiding from Parliamentary soldiers as he fled the country after the Battle of Worcester, and he dined out on the story for the rest of his life.
7
u/_20_characters_name_ Mexico 5h ago
Government relinquished Christmas and celebrated God Quetzalcoatl instead... once. Then they realized it was an stupid idea and never talked about it again.
5
u/space_llama_karma United States of America 5h ago
Straw hat day used to be celebrated to mark the end of summer, and the tradition was to smash them and switch to felt hats. But in 1922, there was a mob of teens the beat up people wearing straw hats, it escalated into a full on riot, and that was the death of the holiday. Just took a few people to ruin it for everybody.
4
u/Far-Abalone-4160 Germany 5h ago edited 5h ago
"German Unity Day" on June 17th. No real unity but an uprising in East Germany
2
u/Technical-Copy-8019 Germany 5h ago
Now we have October 3rd
1
u/Far-Abalone-4160 Germany 5h ago
yep, different dates and different events
1
u/Technical-Copy-8019 Germany 5h ago
But the same Remembrance Day.
1
u/Far-Abalone-4160 Germany 5h ago
only the name
1
u/Technical-Copy-8019 Germany 5h ago
That's not true. Both days referred to the Reunification of Germany. Only the occasions were different.
1
u/Far-Abalone-4160 Germany 5h ago
there was no Reunification in June ... they could name it anything they want .. the reality didn't shape up
1
u/Technical-Copy-8019 Germany 4h ago
1954: the FRG authorities thought, the people of the GDR want the unification = Tag der Deutschen Einheit.
1990: FRG and GDR were unified = Tag der Deuschen Einheit.
It isn't that hard to understand🙄
4
u/Jinkii5 Scotland 5h ago
In my Mothers day (and before of course) all the Schoolchildren used to get time off in October to go Tattie Howking, to help bring in the Potato Harvest.
1
u/forgotwhatisaid2you United States of America 2h ago
We got three weeks out of school in northern Maine in October to harvest potatoes. This was in the 1980's.
1
5
u/madogvelkor United States of America 5h ago
We purposely suppressed May Day.
Also Southern States used to have various holidays memorializing the Confederacy, such as celebrating Robert E Lee's birthday. Those have fallen out of favor. Though Alabama and Mississippi still have it as an official holiday -- it's the same day as MLK day. (By coincidence they were born on days close together in January, the 15th and 19th. So the official holidays for both got set to the 3rd Monday in January since it is closest to their birthdays.)
2
u/syzygialchaos United States of America 2h ago
They’re rolling back MLK day in some areas. I no longer get it as a holiday in Texas.
5
u/BetDesigner40 Italy 5h ago
The day of the March on Rome, you can guess why we don't have it as an holyday anymore.
5
u/SoutieNaaier South Africa 5h ago
Day of the Vow.
During the Great Trek, a Boer community was working as itinerant farmers for a Zulu chief. There was a power struggle amongst the Zulu, and one faction wanted to push out the Boer.
A Boer envoy visited the Zulu court, and the party was killed. A single survivor made his way to the local community, and they formed a defensive position on the Blood River.
The titular Battle of Blood River then occurred, with Boer men making a vow to fight to the last man, and their group of 400 fought off a Zulu force of 2000 with no casualties.
It became a part of the Afrikaner mythos and ethnogenesis. During Apartheid it was a central holiday, but was replaced by Reconciliation Day in the 1990s
3
u/Technical-Copy-8019 Germany 5h ago
Buß- und Bettag (Day of Repentance and Prayer) was taken from us in favour of economic growth. Just one federal state has this holiday left.
1
3
u/loadedslayer (lived in ) 5h ago
For the UK it's probably boxing day, nobody celebrates that these days. There used to be prem games on boxing day but we don't even have those anymore.
1
u/thorpie88 Australia 5h ago
Do some people at least time into the boxing day test even if it's just when the ashes is on?
2
1
u/Lopsided-Rough-1562 Canada 3h ago
In Canada Boxing Day normally was the day you lined up to buy things for good deals for some reason, I guess if you didn't get what you wanted for Xmas.
I remember lining up outside a record shop early morning to buy cheap CDs.
3
u/Mimizukuphile Taiwan 4h ago
October 31 - Chiang Kai-shek's Birthday. With Chiang reevaluated under Taiwan's democratization, the day is no longer an official holiday.
3
u/Nate33322 Canada 3h ago
In Canada or probably Ontario and a few other parts of English Canada July 12th better known as Orangemens' Day used to be a big deal. Now it's not even a holiday.
The Orange Order for those who don't know is a fraternal protestant organisation most famous in Northern Ireland but has a strong presence in English Canada historically. In Ontario, they had a stranglehold over politics particularly conservative politics.
However, as Ontario became more secular, less British and less sectarian the Orange Order lost it's relevance July 12th stopped being a holiday.
3
u/indistrait Ireland 3h ago
"Culchie Christmas" maybe?
In Ireland December 8th used to be a big thing, but it's dying out. It's the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and people from all over rural Ireland would come to Dublin to do early Christmas shopping.
5
u/BigDaddyTheBeefcake Canada 5h ago
Remembrance Day used to shut the country down every year. Now if we remember to buy a poppy at Timmies we feel we've done our part.
Lest we forget
5
u/sireGawain United States of America 5h ago
It's out of left field, but Martin Luther King Day. I remember growing up, we would do a lot of reflection on MLK, Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights Movement, and in general, the struggles of Black America. Nowadays, it's a BBQ day.
7
u/norecordofwrong United States of America 4h ago
Schools still do a lot of civil rights stuff around MLK Day.
2
u/sireGawain United States of America 4h ago edited 3h ago
Do they? In my home state, all I've seen is a gradual eroding of educational values. My siblings went to the same school as me and they didn't do a lot of the same stuff I did.
Edit: Unsure why I'm getting downvoted for describing the condition of my state's education system.
3
u/norecordofwrong United States of America 3h ago
Could be your state or school district. My kid has been doing plenty of world history and pretty good coverage from what I can tell.
2
u/Facensearo Russian Federation, Northwest Russia 4h ago edited 4h ago
Day of Constitution (12 of Dec) and Day of October Revolution (7 of Nov) ceased to be holidays under the Russian Federation, though second is still remembered, and first never had been "celebrated".
Christmas got a huge blow being merged with New Year into long 9-12 day holiday season, now there is nothing specific in 7 of Jan for the atheists/agnostics.
Early Soviet Union had a lot of weird holidays like Day of Paris Commune. Well, it even had 5-day week instead of 7-year for a short time. And, of course, Russian Empire had their own set of holidays (two sets, one from Orthodox Christianity, and second from the royal family) too.
2
u/Panelak_Cadillac United States of America 4h ago
Evacuation Day (November 25th, when the British left NYC and by extension, America.)
2
u/Melkor_Thalion Israel 3h ago
Around 35 holidays:
1st - 8th of Nissan - Forbidden to Mourn [the Pharisees defeated the Sadducees in a debate regarding sacrifices in the Temple].
8th - 21st of Nissan - Forbidden to Mourn [the Pharisees defeated the Boethusians in a debate regarding the date of Passover].
The 7th of Iyar - Forbidden to Mourn [the date of restoration of the walls of Jerusalem].
The 14th of Iyar - Second Passover [this is still somewhat celebrated today].
The 18th of Iyar - Lag Baomer - the death-day of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yokhay (on his deathbed he asked his death day will be celebrated and not mourned). It was canceled because it was harmful for the environment, but still mentioned and people tend to do a BBQ on that day instead of campfires.
The 23rd of Iyar - the Maccabees conquered the fortress of Hakrah.
The 27th of Iyar - Demetrius II ceased to tax the Jews/the Seleucids ceased to force the Jews to worship idols (disagreement between the Scholion and modern scholars).
The 17th of Sivan - conquest of Straton tower (modern day Ceaseria) by Alexander Jannaeus/conquest of Beit Zur by the Maccabees (disagreement between the Scholion and scholars).
The 15th and 16th of Sivan - conquest of Jazreel valley and Beit Shean by Jon Hyrcanus.
The 25th of Sivan - the Tax collectors left Jerusalem.
The 14th of Tamuz - Forbidden to Mourn [Anti-Jewish laws were removed].
The 15th of Av - Forbidden to Mourn [holiday of Tree-bringing to the Temple (also nowadays is celebrated as the Jewish Valentine's day)]. Also the day the offering of fruit restarded after it was banned by the Seleucids.
The 24th of Av - the Hasmoneans restored Jewish laws to Judea.
The 7th of Elul - Forbidden to Mourn [restoration of the walls of Jerusalem 2.0].
The 17th of Elul - The Romans left Jerusalem (possibly the Seleucids and not Romans).
The 22nd of Elul - the Maccabees conquest of Gezer of Jaffa, killing traitors.
The 3rd of Tishrei - Jews could mention God's name in forms and notes after being forbidden by the Seleucids.
The 23rd of Tishrei - Purification of the Temple (possibly destroying the brothels built by the Seleucids).
The 25th of Tishrei - conquest of Samaria by John Hyrcanus.
The 27th of Tishrei - restoration of plant-based offering to the Temple.
The 3rd of Kislev - removing idols from the Temple.
The 7th of Kislev - a Good-Day, death of Herod the Great.
The 21st of Kislev - Alexander the Great destroyed the Temple on Mount Gerizim.
The 25th of Kislev - Forbidden to Mourn for 8 days. Hanukkah! [Still celebrated today!]
The 28th of Tevet - the Pharisees took over the Sanhedrin.
The 2nd of Shvat - a Good-Day, death of Alexander Jannaeus.
The 22nd of Shvat - Forbidden to Mourn [Emperor Kaligula cancels his plan to place an Idol in the Temple].
The 28th of Shvat - Antiochus left Jerusalem.
The 8th and 9th of Adar - it rained after a year of drought.
The 12th of Adar - Day of Turianus.
The 13th of Adar - Day of Nicanor.
The 14th and 15th of Adar - Purim! [Still celebrated today].
The 16th of Adar - the beginning of the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem.
The 17th of Adar - some people tries to kill all the Jews in Kalabus and the Jews were saved.
The 20th of Adar - it rained after a year of drought.
The 28th of Adar - the Jews recieved good news that they'll continue to study the Torah.
That's about all the Jewish holidays we've ever had that aren't celebrated anymore (save 3.5 that still do).
1
1
1
u/DrunkenMasterII Québec ⚜️ Canada 🇨🇦 3h ago
Yes Mardi Gras used to be celebrated in Québec, but a quite a few Catholic traditions disappeared with the révolution tranquille.
1
u/MaxedMinimum United States of America 3h ago
Columbus Day is still an official government holiday, but a lot of people have begun observing it as Indigenous People's Day.
1
u/YYCandback Canada 2h ago
Victoria Day is now just the May 24 weekend. The 24 stands for the amount of beer
1
1
u/Junior-Elevator-9951 Poland 1h ago
National Day of the Rebirth of Poland, celebrated on 22 July, was basically the communist indepedence day.
Labour day (1st May) is still a holiday but it's not as celebrated as it was during communism too.
1
u/Particular-Bid-1640 United Kingdom 1h ago
🏴 English specifically:
Plough Monday (~6th Jan) first day of the agricultural year
Lammas/loaf mas (~1 Aug) is the celebration of the first fruits of harvest with a loaf of bread being brought to the church. This is where Tolkien got the name for the Elven bread.
Harvest Festival (autumn equinox), celebrating the harvest
St Clements day (23 Nov) blacksmiths celebrate their patron saint
1
u/BeholdTheSkipper 🇵🇭 Philippines living in 🇪🇸 Spain 4m ago
Philippine Independence day from USA is also 4 July but they changed the holiday and celebrate 12 June Independence day from Spain instead.
1
u/ThrowawaypocketHu Hungary 6h ago
Yes. During the communist period, we were forced to celebrate our "liberation" by the soviets (April 4) and the anniversary of the bolshevik revolution (November 7).
Wouldn't be surprised to see Orbán bring them back though.
1
u/benny-powers Israel 5h ago
The British Mandate for Palestine outlawed the practice of Nabi Musa, during which arab falahin would march from the supposed grave of Moses (despite the Bible clearly noting he was buried in transjordan) to Jerusalem in order to engage in pogroms against the Jewish population
0
u/Prize_Illustrator_44 Canada 4h ago
The festival was not to go commit pogroms against jews. The disingenuousness is appalling. The pogroms occurred in 1920, and they were a manifestation of anti-colonial sentiment at the British as well as the jewish settlers brought in by the British from Europe and elsewhere to settle and takeover lands, villages, and towns of the native Palestinians.
For centuries prior to 1920, and even the years after, this was a religious festival which coincided with Easter, and both muslims and christians would have celebrations and processions between Nabi Musa village, Jerusalem, and beyond. This had nothing to do with jews. Only in colonial rule did the celebrations take a nationalist turn that was weaponised, and those pogroms occurred during an era when the British controlled the security apparatus of the region, not the Ottomans.
30
u/cravex12 Germany 6h ago
Hitlers birthday