What public holiday do we have on the 1st of April?

Cyprus National Day is a public holiday in Cyprus and is recognized on the 1st of April each year. It is also known to some as Greek Cypriot National Day. 1st of April 1955 was the initial declaration day of EOKA. EOKA being the acronym of the organisations full name in Greek , Ένωση Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters). An organisation created to fight for the end of British rule in Cyprus , for the islands independence and its union with Greece.

After 5 years of fighting and resisting the British rule Cypriots finally managed to make a deal to be declared as an independent island. Unfortunately they had no luck unifying with Greece. In 1959 the United Kingdom, Turkey and Greece signed an agreement with Cyprus in Zurich and the EOKA forces disbanded. The agreement declared that the State of Cyprus would become a republic. A republic with a Greek President, a Turkish Vice President, the national languages of Greece and Turkey, and its own flag. The agreement came into practical effect later in 1960. Later on the Cypriot-Turkish cohabitation had many conflicts and Turkey declared war with Cyprus in 1974. As a result they took a large part of Cypriot ground. Those parts of Cyprus are still held by Turkey until this day.