Holocaust Remembrance Day is a day to remember the victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the mass murder of European Jews and other people by the Nazis during World War II. More than 6 million Jewish people were murdered. Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The uprising was a revolt by Jews in Poland against the Nazis in 1943.
The date for Holocaust Remembrance Day is chosen by Israel. It changes each year based on the Hebrew calendar. It is always in April or May.
In the United States, Congress set up the Days of Remembrance. This yearly event commemorates the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Days of Remembrance are observed during the week that Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs. The week is set aside for ceremonies to honor those who died in the Holocaust.
The United States Holocaust Museum leads the national Days of Remembrance ceremony. It is held at the United States Capitol each year. Holocaust survivors, liberators, government officials, and community leaders take part in the ceremony.
Ceremonies are held in Israel on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Sirens are sounded across the country at 10:00 A.M. People and all traffic stop to observe two minutes of silence to pay tribute to the Holocaust victims.
One of the goals of Holocaust Remembrance Day and Days of Remembrance is to make sure that people around the world never forget the Holocaust. People teach about the horrors of the Holocaust to help prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.