Defense Day (Ethiopia)

Defense Day (Amharic: የመከላከያ ቀን) is a national holiday in Ethiopia celebrating on 26 October to commemorate the establishment of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) in 1907. Events in this day includes military parades, exhibitions and other ceremonies.^[1][2]

Defense Day የመከላከያ ቀን
ENDF soldiers marching in the 2019 parade
Significance	Formation of the Ethiopian National Defense Force in 1907
Celebrations	Military parardes Exhibitions Maneuvers
Date	26 October
Next time	26 October 2025 (2025-10-26)
Frequency	Annual

During the EPRDF-era, Defense Day was celebrated in February due to TPLF relating to the party history.^[3] The first day was held on 14 February 2013 under the theme of "Our constitutional loyalty and multi-national nature will be preserved."^[4]