Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State is observed in the Czech Republic on January 1 every year. This holiday commemorates the split of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which took effect on January 1, 1993. The origins of Czechoslovakia date back to October 1918, following its declaration of independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The country experienced a brief split during World War II and came under Soviet rule after the war, with democracy being restored in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution. The peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia was driven by growing nationalist tensions in the early 1990s. This national holiday serves to reflect on the country's journey to independence and the establishment of its current democratic state.