August Revolution Day

  

August Revolution Day
Celebration of the Continental Revolutionary Warin 1924
Observed by	Citizens within the United Commonwealth
Type	Public holiday, federal holiday, religious, cultural
Significance	Commemoration of the establishment of the United Commonwealth and socialist revolution
Date	February 20th, 1920
Related to	Independence Day

August Revolution Day (officially the Day of the Great August Revolution for Socialist Liberation) is a public holiday in the United Commonwealth commemorating the beginning of the Continental Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United Commonwealth. It officially replaced Independence Day, which is still observed partially by government officials as a celebration against colonialism. It has been observed officially since February 20th, 1920.

For Continental families, it is a holiday to partake in a shared late dinner, watch the August Revolutionary Parade and participate in local festivities. Government entities plan large firework displays which draw significant crowds. During events, the national anthem and the Internationale are alongside other patriotic songs. The August Revolutionary Parade is the largest annual military parade in North America, where military hardware and soldiers gather on Michigan Avenue and in Grant Park. Workers are involved in festivities but are adorned in military attire, compared to May Day when workers are donned in work attire. Members of the Central Committee, the Secretariat, President and the General Secretary of the Continentalist Party regularly lead the event.

The event has taken place regularly, even during the Great War when the forces of Superior and the Kingdom of Sierra were battling against the Continental States. The August Revolution Day and May Day Parade have increased in popularity in the United Commonwealth after promotion by Anthony Malito during his tenure.

Background

The previous major holiday in the United Commonwealth was Independence Day commemorating the Declaration of Independence that proclaimed the establishment of the United States as a sovereign country free from the colonial dominion of the British Empire on July 4, 1776. The holiday would be among the most celebrated holidays in the United States and the subsequent United Commonwealth of America, being promoted as a holiday that was essential to the American identity and history by the latter following the War of Contingency and the United Commonwealth seeking to maintain the legacy of the United States along with its political continuity as its successor state. The ruling Federalist Party heavily promoted Independence Day and other holidays to promote American patriotism and loyalty to the party by extension, which in turn caused the holiday to be viewed more negatively by the Continentalist Party.

While Independence Day would be downgraded in favor of August Revolution Day following the creation of the Continental States, it would not be completely abandoned as its roots in honoring the Thirteen Colonies of British America declaring their independence from an overseas colonial power and instigated in-party by the interference of an overseas government in London was viewed by many in the party as honoring the tradition of anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism and would be celebrated by party officials and members along with retaining its status as a federal holiday, however it would later have communist symbolism and iconography integrated to contrast its observance of Independence Day from that seen in the Antilles.

See also

• Public holidays in the United Commonwealth