April 25th, Liberation Day and St Mark

Liberation Day is a national holiday in Italy that is annually celebrated on April 25. It marks the fall of Mussolini's Italian Social Republic and the end of the Nazi occupation in Italy in 1945, towards the end of the second World War. Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione) remembers Italians who fought against the Nazis and Mussolini’s troops during World War II. The day honors those who served in the Italian Resistance. Marching bands, music concerts, food festivals, political rallies, and other public gatherings take place in many places in Italy.

Liberation Day coincides with The Feast of St Mark (La Festa di San Marco), an annual local public holiday in Venice, that honors St Mark, the city’'s patron saint who died on April 25 in 68 CE. He was one of Jesus Christ’s disciples and believed to be author of the Gospel of Mark. It is believed that the relics of St Mark were moved to Venice in 828 CE, where it attracted pilgrims from around Europe.

One tradition associated with St Mark’s festival was the Festival of the Blooming Rose, symbolizing love and romance. The custom of giving a rose bud (bocolo) to a loved one is still practiced today.