Croatia’s Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day (Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti)
On August 5 each year, Croatia celebrates the national holiday called Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders. We call this day Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja in Croatian.
On this day, Croatian residents commemorate the military action called Oluja (Operation Storm) from the Domovinski rat (Croatian War of Independence). Oluja was the last major battle of the war in 1995.
The Croatian army liberated the city of Knin, which had been occupied by the Serbian army. This liberation resulted in the end of the Republic of Serbian Krajina proto-state.
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Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day in Croatia
History of Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja
The holiday was first celebrated on August 5, 1996. Its first name was Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day). In 2008, Dan hrvatskih branitelja (Day of Croatian Defenders) was added to the name of the holiday.
Dan hrvatskih branitelja celebrates current military service members, and veterans of the Croatia Armed Forces called Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske (OSRH).
The battle of Oluja started on August 4, 1995, after a 4-year occupation by Serbia. At 12 noon on the dot, the Croatian flag was raised at the fortress of Knin, confirming its liberation.
[Read: Meaning behind the flag of Croatia]
On August 6, Plaško, Lički Osik, Vrhovine, Obrovac, Korenica, Slunj, and Plitvice were all liberated. The operation ended on August 7, 1995. Gračac, Lovinac, Benkovac, Kijevo, Vrliku, Dubicu, and Primišlje were liberated as well.
In just 84 hours, 10.400 square meters of occupied Croatian territory were freed, which amounts to 18.4% of the total territory of the Republic of Croatia.
Oluja and Bljesak were the main military actions that led to the end of the Domovinski rat.
How Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in Croatia
The main celebration of the Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja is held in the city of Knin. Every year, Croatian politicians and residents gather to lay wreaths to honor the Croatian defenders who died in the war.
Candles are lit at the Spomenik hrvatske pobjede “Oluja 95” (Monument of Croatian Victory “Oluja 95”) in Knin. The Croatian flag is raised right at noon on the Kninska tvrđava (Knin fortress) as a memory of the liberation.
This is a highly attended event that continues with parades and concerts. Visitors get the chance to see the weapons and equipment used by the Croatian Army in the war.
The holiday is also celebrated in other Croatian cities such as Vukovar, Osijek, Petrinja, Rijeka, and Pula. These celebrations are also marked by lighting candles, laying wreaths, and organizing parades, concerts, and fireworks.
To learn about other Croatian holidays, click here.
View our other holiday posts
- All Saint’s Day (Dan svih svetih) in Croatia
- Dan antifašističke borbe (Anti-Fascist Struggle Day)
- Corpus Christi (Tijelovo)
- Croatia national holidays
- Day of Remembering the Victims of Croatia War of Independence and Day of Remembering Victims of Vukovar and Škabrnja
- Epiphany (Bogojavljenje, Sveta tri kralja)
- How Croatia celebrates Easter
- Međunarodni praznik rada (Labor Day)
- Statehood Day (Dan državnosti)
- Sveti Stjepan, Štefanje (St. Stephen’s Day)
- Velika Gospa (Assumption of Mary)
Source:
5. kolovoza – Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja by Hrvatski sabor
Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.
