Independence Day of Ukraine

Independence Day of Ukraine () is the main state holiday in modern Ukraine, celebrated on 24 August in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence of 1991.
History.
When Ukraine was still a Soviet republic, the Ukrainian diaspora traditionally recognized 22 January (the Declaration of Independence of the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918) as Ukrainian Independence day.
The current form of the holiday was first celebrated on 16 July 1991, as the first anniversary of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine passed by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) in 1990. Since the Declaration of "Independence" was issued on 24 August 1991, and confirmed by the referendum of 1 December 1991, the date of the holiday was changed. (In December 1991 many Ukrainian Canadians expected that 1 December would become Ukraine's official independence day.)
Traditions.
National Flag Day.
Beginning in 2004, 23 August is celebrated as National Flag Day.
Parade.
Generally (but not every year) independence day is celebrated with a military parade held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Since 2019 no military parade has taken place. According to a 21 October 2020 decree by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021 a military parade will be held (again) on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence.
Recent and historical celebrations.
1997.
The Chayka Aviation Parade was a large-scale aviation show dedicated to Independence Day that took place at Kyiv Chaika Airfield in 1997. It featured flypasts by personnel of the Ukrainian Air Force. The parade was attended by President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and Minister of Defense Oleksandr Kuzmuk.
2016.
After the annual military parade in Kyiv the "March of the Unconquered" was held by active members of Ukraine's volunteer battalions, relatives of those killed during the fighting in the war in Donbas and family members of those killed during the Euromaidan uprising – known in Ukraine as the "Heavenly Hundred". According to the Ukrainian army the volume of artillery fire set off by the separatist forces of the war in Donbas during the 24-hour period of 24 August 2016 was the highest since the February 2015 Battle of Debaltseve.
Several Ukrainian cities held marches of people dressed in "vyshyvanky" (shirts with traditional Ukrainian embroidery).
2019.
On 10 July 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Facebook that the 2019 Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations will not include a military parade (for the first time since the parade's cancellation from 2010-2014) stating the following: "We have decided to allocate 300 mln hryvnias [nearly $12 mln] as bonus payments to our servicemen, i.e. fixed-term soldiers, cadets, sergeants, officers.” Zelensky also mentioned that the government would take steps to "honor heroes" on Independence Day by highlighting the fact that the "format will be new". On 30 July, Zelensky's Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Bohdan announced that a "March of Dignity" ("Марш гідності") will take place in replacement of the annual parade. A separate march, known as the "March of Defenders" ("Марш захисників") was also planned to be held by Ukrainian war veterans. The ceremony went on as planned and even incorporated elements of the annual parade such as the flag raising ceremony and the awarding of veterans. During his speech, Zelensky called for unity, saying "Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking, regardless of age, gender, religion - we must be one people".
2020.
On Independence Day in 2020, President Zelensky during his speech proclaimed that there would never be military equipment on parade in Kyiv as long as the war in Donbas is ongoing, during which he said that it is "Where it is needed now." Zelensky stated that military parades would be held in the future "a parade of Ukrainian victory, when we will return all our people and all our territories." The ceremony, as well as the concert that followed, was held in Mykhailivska Square in front of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, the current seat of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and thus also honored the Ukrainian medical workers and professionals who had contributed their efforts during the current COVID-19 pandemic in all of Ukraine.
The joint concert of Ukrainian stars following the ceremony was marked by scandal because various artists performing in it had continued to perform and/or accept awards in Russia, despite the Ukrainian Autonomous Republic of Crimea being annexed by Russia in 2014 and the alleged support of Russia for the separatist forces of the war in Donbas. It was also condemned that this concert took place during the "March of Defenders" ("Марш захисників") commemorating the victims of the war in Donbas.
In an English language Independence Day address, Zelensky launched an information campaign to restart the Ukraine NOW brand. The 2020 events served as a national kick-off to the celebrations in 2021 marking the pearl jubilee year of independence.
2021.
Foreign leaders have been invited to the 30th anniversary celebrations, including US president Joe Biden, Greek president Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda and Moldovan president Maia Sandu.