National Day of Albania
Declaration of Independence (when is Independence Day)
Albania got freedom from the Ottoman Empire on 28 November 1912.
History (Background)
Albania had made several attempts to gain freedom from the Turks. During the 15th century, the country had enjoyed a short period of freedom under the famous hero, Skanderbeg. During the 19th century, the residents resisted the Turkish attempts for assimilating Albania and in 1878 the Albania leaders came up with the Albanian League for uniting the nation. They adopted an alphabet and introduced their native language, literature, and education. The Albanians fought again in 1908 and finally gained their freedom in 1912. On 28 November 1912, 83 leaders of the assembly met at Vlore and announced Albania as a free nation. Ismail Qemali, a distinguished leader of the Albanian national movement, raised the Albanian flag to publicly proclaim the independence of Albania from the Ottomans.
Songs
Let us now take a look at the translated version of the national anthem:
Hymn to the Flag
United around the flag,
With one desire and one goal,
Let us pledge our word of honor
To fight for our salvation
Only he who is a born traitor
Averts from the struggle.
He who is brave is not daunted,
But falls – a martyr to the cause.
With arms in hand we shall remain,
To guard our fatherland round about.
Our rights we will not bequeath,
Enemies have no place here.
For the Lord Himself has said,
That nations vanish from the earth,
But Albania shall live on,
Because for her, it is for her that we fight.
Celebration
Various concerts and ceremonies are organized to commemorate the historic Independence Day of Albania. You can witness large ceremonies in Tirana. Here the national flag is raised with respect in the presence of the Prime Minister, President, Tirana’s mayor, as well as other officials. They also visit the cemetery of the national martyrs. Famous dancers and singers of Albania perform at various concerts in Tirana; the nation’s capital. Even though it is chilly outside, you will find various people on the streets wrapped in Albanian national flags. Besides there are many who prefer staying at home and watching the ceremonies on television.
Facts
Some of the facts that you should take a note of are as follows:
- Population: 3,170,000
- Capital: Tirana
- Area: 28,748 square kilometers
- Language: Albanian, Greek
- Religion: Albanian Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic
- Industry: Food processing, lumber, oil, textiles and clothing;
- Agriculture: Wheat, potatoes, corn, vegetables; meat
- Exports: Asphalt, textiles and footwear, metals and metallic ores, crude oil