Martyrs' Day is a public holiday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it is observed on January 4 each year. The holiday commemorates those who died in the January riots in 1959 fighting for the country's independence.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in Central Africa. King Leopold II of Belgium acquired the territory as his private property in 1885, and Leopold ceded the land to the Belgian parliament in 1908. The same year, the Belgian parliament named it the Belgian Congo and annexed it as a Belgian colony.
Nationalism struggling for independence grew in the late 1950s. On January 4, 1959, a large crowd gathered in the street against the Belgian regime. The colonial government used police officers, and hundreds of people died. The January riots became a turning point in the Congolese liberation movement. On June 30, 1960, the Belgian Congo gained its independence as the Republic of Congo.
The following is the list of Martyrs' Day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2022 to 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| Martyrs' Day | Jan 04, 2022 | Tuesday |
| Martyrs' Day | Jan 04, 2023 | Wednesday |
| Martyrs' Day | Jan 04, 2024 | Thursday |
| Martyrs' Day | Jan 04, 2025 | Saturday |
| Martyrs' Day | Jan 04, 2026 | Sunday |
Please check more public holidays in Democratic Republic of the Congo: