National Days and a Worldwide Tradition Published June 29, 2015 By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The 4th of July brings to mind fireworks, barbeques, baseball, and for some of us, Will Smith. It's this country's most fundamentally patriotic holiday, and a quintessentially American experience as we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Yet whether it's the particular date that's on our mind, or independence itself - Americans aren't celebrating alone. Many Danes celebrate American independence on July 4th in what is one of the largest instances of a national holiday being celebrated by foreigners. In Rwanda, July 4th is Liberation Day, which celebrates the end of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. While Americans celebrate their independence, the Philippines celebrates independence from America. On July 4th, 1946 the United States officially recognized Philippine independence, and ceded the Philippines' status as a U.S. territory. Independence Day is the United States of America's national day. Nearly every country in the world has a national day, and many of them are very similar to ours in theme. Afghanistan's Independence Day is celebrated on August 19th in honor of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919, which granted independence from Britain. Thirteen years later, Iraq ended 17 years of British rule, and their day of independence is October 3rd. In fact, the club of countries that have gained independence from Great Britain is pretty crowded. Some countries fought for it, some negotiated for it, and others had it handed to them. Here are some of the world's nations that have holidays to celebrate their independence from England, the British Empire, the United Kingdom, or any of its variations in alphabetical order. Antigua and Barbuda, a twin-island country in the Caribbean, celebrates November 1st; they gained independence in 1981. The Bahamas got away from Britain in 1973, and they celebrate on July 10th. Barbados' Independence Day was born on November 30th in 1966. Botswana also escaped UK control that year. Across the world, Belize won independence from Britain in 1981, and their National Day is 21 September. Brunei became independent from Great Britain on 1 January, 1984, though they celebrate it on 23 February. Cyprus won independence Oct 1, 1960. Dominica celebrates both independence from the UK in 1978, and discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Fiji got free of British Colonial Rule in 1970, and Fiji Day is celebrated 10 October, during Fiji Week. The United Kingdom gave Gambia independence in 1965; Gambia's national day is February 18th. Ghana became independent in 1957, and they celebrate on March 6th. Grenada has held independence day ceremonies and parades on February 7th for over 40 years, commemorating its independence from the UK in 1974. 15 August is Independence Day for India, which won independence from the British Empire in 1947. Even Israel escaped the British Mandate of Palestine in 1948, though the specific date of celebration varies with the Jewish calendar. Jamaica gained independence from the UK in 1962, and they celebrate the first Monday of August. Other countries who've left English rule behind, or at least shaken free some interference, include Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. That's a lot. Today the United Kingdom is one of America's strongest allies. There's nothing more American than the 4th of July, but on top of being our national day, it's also part of a much larger, worldwide tradition. Who doesn't love independence?