October Revolution Day
On November 7th in Belarus, October Revolution Day is celebrated as a public holiday. It’s a day that commemorates the Great October Socialist Revolution that began on this date in 1917. Although this holiday isn’t celebrated in many former Soviet satellites, it’s still a holiday that’s widely observed in Belarus.
Belarus (National holiday)Many people wonder why this holiday is celebrated in November, yet it’s called the October Revolution Day and that’s because of the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. This revolution began on the 25th of October on the Julian calendar, but that date was 12-days later, in November, on the Gregorian calendar.
The History Of October Revolution Day In Belarus
After the February Revolution in 1917 that overthrew the Tsar, and caused the end of the Romanov Dynasty and the end of the Russian Empire, many people would consider themselves Soviets across Russia. Under the leadership of Lenin, the Bolsheviks initiated the October Revolution on November 7th, 1917 in Petrograd. This revolution would officially create the Soviet Union. This holiday was widely celebrated across the Soviet Union.
When the Soviet Union collapsed during the beginning of the 1990s, many former Soviet countries either stopped celebrating this holiday or ended up changing the name and purpose of the holiday to something else. That didn’t happen in Belarus, however. This isn’t surprising considering that Russia has historically thought of Belarus as Russian territory.
Observing October Revolution Day In Belarus
This holiday is observed as a public holiday, with many schools, businesses, and government offices closed for the day. It’s also a day off for the general population, and many people attend military parades, festivals, and other special events that celebrate this day.
Belarus (National holiday)
