This national holiday marks the anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence of Latvia by the People's Council of Latvia in 1918.

Also known as Latvijas Republikas proklamēšanas diena, this independence day commemorates the declaration of independence of the Republic of Latvia from German and Russian occupation after the end of the first world war. The nation's independence lasted until 1940, when it was occupied by forces from the Soviet Union and became part of the USSR. Like the other Baltic republics, the restoration of its independence was proclaimed on May 4, 1990. Formal separation from Soviet Russia occurred on August 21,1 991.