Victory Day - June 23 in Estonia

June 23 in Estonia

Võidupüha or Victory Day is a public holiday in Estonia, which has been celebrated on 23 June every year since 1934. The date recalls the victory in the 1919 Battle of Võnnu (near Cēsis, Latvia) of the Estonian military forces and their allies over German forces (Baltische Landeswehr) who sought to re-assert Baltic-German control over the region. The battle was part of the 1918-1920 Estonian War of Independence, where the main adversary of the newly independent Estonia was Communist Russia. Today, Võidupüha also marks the contributions of all Estonian nations in their fight to regain and retain their independence.

Estonian celebration of June 23 is ceremonially tied to the following Midsummer Day celebrations on June 24. According to Estonian laws, the state flags are not to be lowered during the night between the days.