Day of the Shining Star
The day of the bright star is a national holiday in North Korea commemorating the former dictator Kim Jong-il . It takes place annually on his birthday on February 16. It is celebrated with military parades , a Kimjongilia flower show and collective flower laying in front of the Kumsusan Palace , the Kim Jong-ils mausoleum. The program items of the official celebrations also include artistic and sporting performances.
The birthday of his predecessor Kim Il-sung is also celebrated as a national holiday, the day of the sun .
Celebrations on the occasion of his birthday already took place during his lifetime. However , the holiday was named Day of the Shining Star by decision of the Politburo of the Labor Party of Korea in 2012 after the death of Kim Jong-il on December 17, 2011. According to official information, this decision reflects "the unanimous wish and pleading of all party members to Military personnel and the general public expressed great respect for Kim Jong Il as the party's eternal leader ”.
The celebrations can also be attended by foreign tourists, with the exception of the military parades. The first day of the shining star after Kim Jong-il's death was both celebrated as his 70th birthday and as a day of mourning.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kim Jong-il's birthday renamed 'Day of the Shining Star' guardian.co.uk of February 16, 2012 (English)
- ↑ “Day of the Shining Star” in Pyongyang faz.net from February 16, 2012
- ↑ a b Cult of the dead Kim Yong Il - Six months labor camp for bad crying Focus from January 13, 2012