2019-10-01 Tue

Independence Day of Cyprus is celebrated every 1 October. This holiday is separate from National Day, which is marked on 1 April. Both holidays relate to the same process of independence for Cyprus but each recognizes a different event.

During the second half of the 1950s, Cyprus was involved in a prolonged and, often, violent struggle to gain independence from Britain. Some of this involved politics but some of it involved a guerilla-type force called EOKA that used armed forces to attack British troops.

In January of 1959, an agreement was signed in Zurich between Greece, Turkey, Britain, and Cyprus. This agreement was fine-tuned and came into effect on 1 October 1960 – hence the date on which Independence Day is celebrated.

The day includes festivals and parades of schools and the military, including the display of tanks and other armouries. At the end of the day, a special open event is held at the President’s Palace. To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the day, the Cyprus Post issued a set of two stamps.

The stamps were issued with the denominations of .68 and .85 Euros. The stamp depicts the national emblem in the centre flanked by the years 1960 and 2010. The right stripe on the stamp depicts the name of the country in Greek and Roman letters along with the denomination value.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com

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