Remembrance Day (Sri Lanka)
Remembrance Day (
Sinhala: ජාතික රණවිරු සැමරුම් උළෙල
Jāthika Raṇaviru Sæmarum Uḷela), also known as
National War Heroes Commemoration Day, is a memorial day observed in
Sri Lanka since the end of the
Sri Lankan Civil War, which is observed to commemorate the war heroes which fought in the war and the civilians who were killed in the war from both sides. Remembrance Day is observed on 19 May, which marks the decisive victory of the
Sri Lankan Army against the rebel
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, on 18 May 2009.
Celebrations are marked by speeches and a moment of silence. Initially, under
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the day was known as
Victory Day and included a
military parade,
[1] but in 2015 was renamed Remembrance Day by President
Maithripala Sirisena.
[2][3][4]
Remembrance / Victory Day – Year-by-Year (2009 → 2026)
War End
- 2009 (18 May) – War ended (no anniversary celebration yet)
Mahinda Rajapaksa Era (Victory Day)
Maithripala Sirisena Era (Transition to Remembrance)
| Year | Date Held | Name Used | Notes |
|---|
| 2015 | 19 May | Remembrance Day | Name officially changed [ft.lk] |
| 2016 | 18 May | Remembrance Day | Some ceremonies on 18/19 |
| 2017 | 19 May | Remembrance Day | Standardized |
| 2018 | 19 May | Remembrance Day | Continued |
| 2019 | 19 May | Remembrance Day | Last under Sirisena |
Gotabaya Rajapaksa Era (War Heroes Emphasis)
| Year | Date Held | Name Used | Notes |
|---|
| 2020 | 19 May | War Heroes / Remembrance | Continued observance [gpedia.com] |
| 2021 | 19 May | War Heroes Commemoration | Military focus |
| 2022 | 19 May | War Heroes Commemoration | End of tenure |
Ranil Wickremesinghe Era
| Year | Date Held | Name Used | Notes |
|---|
| 2023 | 19 May | National War Heroes Day | Held at Battaramulla [onlanka.com] |
| 2024 | 19 May | War Heroes Commemoration | Same format |
Anura Kumara Dissanayake Era
| Year | Date Held | Name Used | Notes |
|---|
| 2025 | 19 May | National War Heroes Commemoration | State ceremony [lankanewsweb.net] |
| 2026 | 19 May | National War Heroes Commemoration | Current practice (annual) [detailedpedia.com] |
Key Evolution (Simple View)
- 2009: War ends (18 May)
- 2010–2014: Victory Day (mostly 18 May, flexible dates)
- 2015–Present: Remembrance Day / War Heroes Day
Fixed on 19 May [anydayguide.com]
One-line Summary (for your slide)
“Sri Lanka’s war commemoration evolved from Victory Day (2010–2014, mainly 18 May) to Remembrance Day / War Heroes Commemoration (2015–present, fixed on 19 May) reflecting a shift from military celebration to national remembrance.”
