Patriots Victory Day

Today is a great day of celebration in Ethiopia – Patriot’s Victory Day! 

Patriots’ Victory Day is commemorated by Ethiopia every May 5th to give respect to the Ethiopian patriots who fought for the independence of their country’s capital, Addis Ababa, in 1941.

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia made a grand entrance into Addis Ababa on May 5, 1941, to mark the end of the Italian occupation. Selassie had deliberately chosen that date because exactly five years earlier, the Italians had entered the city and initiated a period of occupation that halted Ethiopia's long legacy of sovereignty. However, the intervention of British forces and other Allies, as well as the heroics of Ethiopian patriots, helped preserve Ethiopia's independence. Ever since, Ethiopians have annually commemorated Selassie's famous arrival into the capital.

In Addis Ababa, government leaders, diplomats, patriot associations, and city residents turn out to honor veterans who fought in the resistance movement between 1935 and 1941. A dignitary often lays a wreath before one of the city's monuments commemorating Ethiopia's various military victories. Army brass bands also perform to mark the occasion and many schools and universities take part in the Patriots’ Day celebration as well by holding programs and educational plays for the students to familiarize the history of the holiday. The local government of Ethiopia and the Ethiopians all over the world never fail to celebrate this event in the country’s history.