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 widely observed in Belarus.

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, leading to the end of the Romanov Dynasty and the Russian Empire, many people across Russia would consider themselves Soviets.

Under the leadership of Lenin, the Bolsheviks initiated the October Revolution on November 7th, 1917, in Petrograd. This revolution officially created the Soviet Union. This holiday was widely celebrated across the Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union collapsed at the beginning of the 1990s, many former Soviet countries either stopped celebrating this holiday or changed the name and purpose of the holiday to something else. However, that didn’t happen in Belarus. 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 to celebrate this day.

Where is it celebrated?
Belarus (National holiday)
When is it?
This year (2024)
November 7 Thursday
Next year (2025)
November 7 Friday
Last year (2023)
November 7 Tuesday