Victory Day is celebrated in Malta on September 8 to commemorate the end of three historic sieges carried out in the Maltese archipelago:

  • The Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Empire that ended in 1565.
  • The siege of Valletta by the French blockade that ended in 1800
  • The siege of Malta during WWII by the Italian army that ended in 1943.

This day also coincides with the commemoration of the birth of the Virgin Mary, better known as the Nativity of Mary, which is celebrated in the towns of Senglea, Naxxar and Mellieha in Malta, and Xagħra in Gozo. State ceremonies, fireworks, town feasts and other celebrations are usually held on the islands.