Holocaust Memorial Day takes place each year on 27 January and is dedicated to the remembrance of the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
HMD 2023 Theme: Ordinary People
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust have shared about this year's theme, ordinary people:
Genocide is facilitated by ordinary people. Ordinary people turn a blind eye, believe propaganda, join murderous regimes. And those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed – they are persecuted simply because they are ordinary people who belong to a particular group (eg, Roma, Jewish community, Tutsi).
Read more about this year's theme.
Take part in Holocaust Memorial Day
Each year people from across the UK take part in a national moment for Holocaust Memorial Day.
At 4pm on 27 January people across the nation will light candles and put them safely in their windows to:
- remember those who were murdered for who they were
- stand against prejudice and hatred today
Iconic buildings and landmarks will light up in purple during this powerful national moment of commemoration and solidarity.
How to take part as an individual
Place a candle safely in your window at 4pm on 27 January.
Become part of the conversation about Light the darkness online by sharing a photo of your candle and tagging us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Use the hashtags #HolocaustMemorialDay and #LightTheDarkness.,
Read more from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust about how to take part.
The Holocaust Educational Trust
The Holocaust Educational Trust, work to ensure that people from every background are educated about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today.
The Holocaust was the murder of approximately six million Jewish men, women and children by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Second World War. The Holocaust is often referred to as the Shoah, the Hebrew word for catastrophe.
Learn more about the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
