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International Holocaust Remembrance Day2028 Countdown
Thursday, January 27, 2028
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About International Holocaust Remembrance Day
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed every January 27, the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. Established by the United Nations in 2005, the day honors the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of others murdered, including Roma and Sinti, disabled people, political prisoners, and LGBTQ people.
The date is not about celebration but about memory and responsibility. Museums, schools, and community organizations hold ceremonies, light candles, read victims' names aloud, and invite survivors to share their testimony. The United Nations organizes official commemorations and education programs, and many countries hold moments of silence.
The day carries an urgent message for the present. As survivors age, organizations emphasize the duty to keep their stories alive, to counter Holocaust denial and distortion, and to teach each generation how hatred can grow when it goes unanswered. Remembering, the day insists, is a form of protection.
History of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
The road to this remembrance day began decades after the war itself. Germany marked the fiftieth anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation in 1995, and the idea of a shared international date gained momentum through years of advocacy. In November 2005 the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 60/7, designating January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and rejecting any denial of the Holocaust. The resolution built on earlier cooperation among governments and institutions dedicated to Holocaust education and research. Dozens of UN member states have since established national commemorations on the same date, and ceremonies are now held at the site of Auschwitz, in national parliaments, and at United Nations headquarters in New York. The day has become a focal point for teaching about genocide prevention, antisemitism, and the consequences of unchecked hatred.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- When is International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
- International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked every year on January 27, the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. The date is fixed, so it lands on the same day annually.
- Is International Holocaust Remembrance Day a public holiday?
- It is a United Nations international day of remembrance, not a public holiday in most countries. Businesses and schools generally stay open, though several nations hold official ceremonies and some have adopted the date as a national memorial day.
- How is International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed?
- People observe the day by attending ceremonies, lighting candles, reading the names of victims, listening to survivor testimony, and taking part in educational programs that examine the history of the Holocaust and its lessons.
- Why was January 27 chosen for the remembrance day?
- Because the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on January 27, 1945, and the date has become a universal symbol of both the horror of the Holocaust and the liberation that ended it.