International Holocaust Remembrance Day

 International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 27 January, is an international memorial day for the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide that resulted in the annihilation of 6 million European Jews, 2 million Gypsies (Roma and Sinti), 15,000 homosexual people and millions of others by the Nazi regime. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005 during the 42nd plenary session. The resolution came after a special session was held earlier that year on 24 January 2005 during which the United Nations General Assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust.

This year’s theme is Children and the Holocaust. Watch or read Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on the 1.5 million Jewish children and the tens of thousands of other youths who died during the Holocaust.

At the Museum

For this year’s commemoration, the Museum will host a candle-lighting ceremony on Friday, January 27, 2012, for Holocaust survivors, the Washington, DC, diplomatic community, and the general public at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Remembrance.
In addition, from April 15 through April 22, the Museum will lead the United States in observing the Days of Remembrance, the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust. Read more about this observance and how to plan or attend one in your community.