Republic Day (German: Tag der Republik) was an official holiday in East Germany, celebrated annually on 7 October from 1949 to 1989.

[3] On the occasion of the Day of the Republic, special stamps were issued every five years for the State Birthday of the GDR.

[5][6] The East German government has always held a Republic Day parade on Karl-Marx-Allee (between Alexanderplatz and Strausberger Platz) since its 10th anniversary in 1959.

[citation needed] At 10 am, after the arrival of state and political leaders, the bells ring and the bands sounded a fanfare, after which the parade commander had ordered the parade to present arms and eyes left as it rendered honors to the Minister of Defence, a position held by a General of the Army.

The traditional German Großer Zapfenstreich ("Grand Tattoo") military ceremony was held on Republic Day in the evening.

It was made official in 1981 after it was introduced in 1962 and was updated from the Prussian version, to adjust for the addition of "elements of the progressive military inheritance" which included Soviet compositions and a medley of German and international working-class songs and marches.