India marks 77th Republic Day: 5 other nations that celebrate their Republic Day

On December 13,1946 Jawaharlal Nehru enunciated the defining vision of what the soon-to-be sovereign country should look like: there was no place for a free India except as a republic. In the next three years, the Indian Constitution was framed, believed to be world’s longest that details out the political, legal and social structures of India. India became a sovereign democratic republic when the Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950.

This year, President Droupadi Murmu unfurled the Tricolour at Kartavya Path, marking the commencement of the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial near India Gate. He was joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, and others. The ceremony was attended by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and António Luís Santos da Costa, President of the European Council, who are the chief guests for this year’s celebrations.
This year, 30 tableaux – 17 of the States/ Union Territories and nine from various Ministries/Departments/Services are marching down the Rajpath with a general theme ‘Swatantrata ka Mantra: Vande Mataram’ and ‘Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Here, we take a look at 5 countries that celebrate their Republic Day:

Turkey celebrates Republic Day, or Cumhuriyet Bayramı, on October 29th to remember the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The shift came after the fall of the Ottoman empire and at the hands of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who established a secular, modern state. It is an official holiday observed with state ceremonies, parades, flag displays and cultural events.

Italy hosts a Festa della Repubblica on June 2, celebrating the referendum of 1946, when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and form a republic in the aftermath of World War II. Italy had been a monarchy for close to 100 years before this vote. The day is marked nationally with a big military parade in Rome, official wreath-laying ceremonies and public celebrations that represent Italy’s democratic rebirth after the war.

Republic Day in Serbia Republic Day in Serbia is celebrated on February 15, as it marks the double anniversary of two significant events - the start of the First Serbian Uprising against Ottoman occupation and adoption of the first Serbian Constitution. It is an early milestone in the struggle for independence and constitutional rule by Serbia, and is commemorated with official receptions and cultural events.

Azerbaijan celebrates Republic Day on May 28, which commemorates the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918. This made Azerbaijan the first ever democratic parliamentary republic in the Muslim world. The holiday was not really celebrated under Soviet rule, but regained popularity following independence in 1991. It is today observed with state ceremonies, public events and cultural performances.

Nepal observes Republic Day on 28th May when monarchy was abolished and the country was declared to be a federal democratic republic in 2008. The change came after a 10-year civil war and months of mass political protests that also redrawn the country’s political system. The day is marked by the official celebrations and public functions in Nepal to mark this historic event, as it moved from being a secular state into a republic country.