Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders (Croatian: Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i dan hrvatskih branitelja) is a public holiday in Croatia which is held as a memorial to its War of Independence, celebrated on August 5.[1] On that date in 1995 the Croatian Army took the city of Knin during Operation Storm, which brought an end to the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a self-proclaimed Serb entity in Croatia.
The main celebration is centered in Knin where there are festivities commemorating the event, beginning with a Mass and laying of wreaths in honor of those who died in the war, and continuing with parades and concerts. The event is attended by thousands of people and the highest powers in Croatia.[2][3] The Croatian flag on the Knin fortress is ceremonially lifted as part of the celebrations.[4]
(... from Wikipedia on 2012-04-17 15:09:08)