What is Estonia’s national day on 24 February, commemorating the 1918 declaration, called?

Estonia’s national day on 24 February is called Independence Day.

The date marks the Estonian Declaration of Independence, publicly announced in 1918 in Tallinn and Pärnu. The declaration proclaimed Estonia an independent democratic republic during the upheaval surrounding the Russian Revolution and World War I. Estonia’s independence was later occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, but the republic was restored in 1991.

The holiday is Estonia’s most important national celebration and includes an official reception hosted by the president, concerts, church services, flag ceremonies, and a military parade. It is sometimes confused with Restoration of Independence Day, which Estonia observes on 20 August to mark the 1991 restoration of independence. The two dates refer to different stages of Estonian statehood.