Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania2026 · Date · History
Lithuanian government material lists 16 February as the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania; official parliamentary history ties the date to the Act of Independence signed on 16 February 1918, and the modern holiday framework includes it in the 1990 Holidays Law.
About Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania
Lithuania observes the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania on February 16.
The date commemorates the Act of Independence signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918 and is a statutory public holiday in the modern Lithuanian calendar.
Why Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania matters
The day is a statehood commemoration centered on the 1918 restoration declaration and Lithuania’s modern constitutional history.
The 1918 historical event and the later legal framework that makes February 16 a public holiday are separate layers and should be dated separately.
History of Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania
On February 16, 1918, twenty members of the Council of Lithuania signed the Act of Independence in Vilnius.
Official parliamentary history treats the Act as the declaration restoring an independent Lithuanian state.
After the restoration of Lithuanian independence in 1990, the Law on Holidays No. I-712 of October 25, 1990 included February 16 in the public-holiday calendar.
Current Lithuanian government sources continue to list February 16 as the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania
Law on Holidays No. I-712
Lithuanian state and government institutions
Current government and parliamentary institutions publish holiday and commemoration material.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Day of Restoration of the State of Lithuania
How to Observe Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania
Read the text and official history of the February 16, 1918 Act.
Visit a museum, archive or civic exhibition on Lithuania’s twentieth-century statehood history.
Attend a public ceremony or cultural event where appropriate.
Use neutral, source-based wording when discussing political or constitutional history.
Check current government guidance for practical public-holiday schedules and services.
Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania Facts
The Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania falls on February 16.
The date commemorates the Act signed on February 16, 1918.
Twenty members of the Council of Lithuania signed the Act.
The modern public-holiday framework includes February 16 in the 1990 Law on Holidays No. I-712.
Current Lithuanian government calendars continue to list the holiday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Lithuanian legal acts — Law on Holidays No. I-712 (opens in a new tab)
National Law
Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — About Lithuania / public holidays (opens in a new tab)
National Government
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania — Act of Independence of 16 February 1918 (opens in a new tab)
National Parliament History
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania?
16 February annually; 2026 programme verified The documented recurrence rule is: 16 February.
Does Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as Lithuania / statutory public holiday and statehood commemoration. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania?
The reviewed sources identify Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Lithuanian state and government institutions.
Is Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to Lithuania. Its fuller verified scope is: Lithuania / statutory public holiday and statehood commemoration.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-23.
When is the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania?
It is observed on February 16.
What happened on February 16, 1918?
Twenty members of the Council of Lithuania signed the Act of Independence, declaring the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state.
Is February 16 a public holiday?
Yes. It is included in Lithuania’s statutory public-holiday framework.
Did the 1990 holiday law create the 1918 event?
No. The 1918 Act is the historical event being commemorated; the 1990 law is part of the modern statutory holiday framework.
When was the first modern observance after 1990?
The reviewed sources establish the legal framework but do not explicitly identify a first modern recurring observance, so this guide leaves that point unresolved.
Other observances on February 16
These observances are also listed on February 16, 2027.
Archbishop Janan Luwum Day
Ugandan government sources list February 16 as Archbishop Janan Luwum Day/Janan Luwum Day and a public holiday; current State House material documents the annual national commemoration, whi…
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day
Alaska State Archives documents 1988 AS 44.12.065 and 1945 Anti-Discrimination Act; governor proclaimed February 16 2026