The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a country.(国庆节) Often the National Day will be a national holiday.

　　 The National Day is often taken as the date on which a state or territory achieved independence. Other dates such as the country's patron saint day, or a significant historic date are sometimes used. Most countries have a single National Day per year, though a few, for example, India and Pakistan, have more than one. Besides that, each of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, namely Hong Kong and Macao, celebrate the day of the establishment of the special administrative region, as well as the National Day of the People's Republic of China.

　　 The importance attached to the National Day, and the degree to which it is celebrated, vary enormously from country to country. In France, for example, National Day is 14 July and is known as Bastille Day. It is widely celebrated and the French Tricolour is much in evidence, while the President of the Republic attends a military parade on the Champs-élysées of Paris. In the United States, the Fourth of July celebrations are widely celebrated with fireworks and barbecues. In the Republic of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day, March 17, has been the National Day and a Public Holiday for many years, and in recent years it has been observed as a full Public Holiday in Northern Ireland too. However, in the rest of the United Kingdom the constituent countries' patron saints' days are low-key affairs.

　　 Most countries have a fixed date National Day, but some have movable dates. An example here is Jamaica, which celebrates its National Day on the first Monday in August. This commemorates independence from the United Kingdom which was attained on Monday, 6 August 1962 - the first Monday in August of that year. Another example is Thailand which celebrates the birthday of the King on 5 December. This date will change on the accession of the heir to the throne.

　　 国庆节是一个指定日期庆祝活动标志着一个国家的国家。常常国庆节将会是一个国定假日。

　　 国庆节通常是作为一个国家或地区的日期取得独立。其他日期,如国家的守护神,或重大历史日期有时使用。每年大多数国家只有一个国庆日,尽管一些,例如,印度和巴基斯坦,有不止一个。除此之外,每一个中华人民共和国的两个特别行政区,即香港和澳门,庆祝的日子特别行政区的建立,以及中华人民共和国的国庆节。

　　 国庆节的重视,是庆祝的程度,从国家有着极大的差别。例如,在法国的国庆节是在7月14日,巴士底日。人们普遍庆祝和法国三色旗的证据,而共和国总统参加阅兵在巴黎的香榭丽舍大街。在美国,7月4日庆祝活动广泛庆祝的烟花和烧烤。在爱尔兰共和国,圣帕特里克节,3月17日国庆节和公共假期多年,近年来它被观察到的是一个完整的公共假期在北爱尔兰。然而,英国其他地区的组成国家‘守护神’天低调的事务。

　　 大多数国家有国庆节一个固定的日期,但有些活动日期。一个例子是牙买加,将在8月的第一个星期一庆祝国庆节。这是为了纪念从英国独立获得周一,1962年8月6——8月的第一个星期一。另一个例子是泰国庆祝国王的生日12月5日。这个日期会改变加入的王位继承人。