Holiday August 16,2001

I know that on August 16,2001 is a holiday in the DR. Could anyone tell what this holiday is for.

Restoration Day celebrates the re-establishment of Dominican independence in 1863. After gaining independence from Haiti in 1844, the Dominican Republic again became a Spanish colony between 1861 and 1863.

The independence of the Spanish side of Hispaniola was first declared in late 1821, but it was only weeks until Haiti gained control over the entire island until 1844.

Our national anthem celebrates the Restoration rather than Independence (as the Star Spangled Banner celebrates the US victory in the War of 1812), and declares that if the Dominican Republic were "a thousand times slave, as many times free."

16 August will be a working day. The holiday is passed on to Monday, 20 August. It only is a holiday when it falls on a presidential inaugural date, that is every four years.