All the information about the European Union is not sad, wrong or politically-related! On a lighter note, we wanted to show the diversity of the member States with their National Days. Sovereign birthdays, independence Day, end of wars, so many reasons to celebrate the freedom of the European peoples. Let’s go for a little of History !
| Member States | Date | Celebration |
| Austria | 26 October | Adoption of the Federal Constitutional Law in 1955 |
| Belgium | 21 July | Léopold Saxe-Cobourg- Gotha’s oath in 1831 to remain faithful to the Constitution |
| Bulgaria | 3 March | Signing of the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878 declaring the independence of Bulgaria after a war between Russia and Turkey |
| Croatia | 25 June | The “State Day” celebrates the independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 |
| Cyprus | 1 October | Independence in 1959 from the United Kingdom |
| Czech Republic | 28 October | Independence in 1918 from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and formation of the Czechoslovakia. |
| Denmark | 5 June | First Danish Constitution sign in 1849 by King Frederick VII |
| Estonia | 24 February | Independence in 1918 |
| Finland | 6 December | Declaration of independence in 1917 after 800 of tutelage |
| France | 14 July | Storming of the Bastille in 1789 which started the French Revolution |
| Germany | 3 October | Unity day celebrates the reunification in 1990 of the West Germany and East Germany |
| Greece | 25 March | Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1822 |
| Hungary | 15 March and 23 October | 15 March commemorates the Hungarian Revolution in 1848 23 October commemorates the revolution against the Soviet Union in 1956 |
| Ireland | 17 March | Saint Patrick’s Day celebrates the Patron Saint of the Irish |
| Italy | 2 June | Proclamation of the Republic in 1946 |
| Latvia | 18 November | Independence in 1918 |
| Lithuania | 16 February | Independence in 1918 |
| Luxembourg | 23 June | The Grand Duke’s birthday |
| Malta | 21 September | Independence in 1964 from the United Kingdom |
| The Netherlands | 27 April | The Monarch’s birthday |
| Poland | 3 May | Adoption of their first Constitution in 1791 (which happens to be the first Constitution in Europe) |
| Portugal | 10 June | “Camões Day“ is the anniversary of the death of Portuguese poet Luis Vaz de Camões |
| Romania | 1 December | Commemoration of the Union of Transylvania in 1918 |
| Slovakia | 1 January | Independence in 1992 and disintegration of Czechoslovakia |
| Slovenia | 25 June | Independence in 1991 from Yugoslavia |
| Spain | 12 October | “Hispanic Day” celebrates the Spanish-speaking peoples across the world and the discovery of America by Christopher Colobus in 1492 |
| Sweden | 6 June | Celebration of the proclamation of Gustav Vasa as king in 1523 and adoption of a new Constitution in 1809 |
Wassila ZOUAG
voixdeurope.com 