Public holidayNational

Martyrs' Day (Yekatit 12)የሰማዕታት ቀን

Name: Martyrs' Day (Yekatit 12) (Yekatit 12)
Start: 2027-02-19
Location: Ethiopia

February 19, 2027 · Yekatit 12, 2019 E.C. · in 134 days

Martyrs' Day, known as Yekatit 12, remembers the tens of thousands of Ethiopians killed in the 1937 massacre of Addis Ababa during the Italian occupation. It is a solemn national holiday honouring all who gave their lives resisting foreign rule.

The Yekatit 12 massacre

On 19 February 1937 — Yekatit 12 in the Ethiopian calendar — a grenade attack on the Italian viceroy Rodolfo Graziani in Addis Ababa triggered a brutal reprisal. Over three days, occupation forces killed an estimated tens of thousands of the city's residents in one of the worst atrocities of the colonial era.

The Yekatit 12 monument at Sidist Kilo in Addis Ababa stands in memory of the victims.

How Martyrs' Day is observed

Each year the anniversary is marked with wreath-laying and remembrance ceremonies at the monument, attended by officials, veterans' families and the public. It is a day of national mourning and gratitude to those who resisted the occupation.

Greetings in Amharic

የሰማዕታትን ቀን በክብር እናስባለንYesema'itatn Qen Bekibir Enasibalen“We remember our martyrs with honour”

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Martyrs' Day (Yekatit 12) (Yekatit 12) greeting card to share — Amharic — Greeting card
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Frequently asked questions

When is Martyrs' Day in Ethiopia?

Martyrs' Day falls on Yekatit 12 in the Ethiopian calendar, which corresponds to 19 February on the Gregorian calendar in most years (20 February in some).