Holocaust Memorial Day2026 · Date · History
UK government material marks Holocaust Memorial Day annually on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
About Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day in the United Kingdom is marked each year on or around 27 January.
The UK observance remembers the Holocaust and other genocides within the scope defined by the UK commemoration; this guide focuses specifically on the UK national observance.
Why Holocaust Memorial Day matters
The UK observance is a national day of remembrance and learning centred on the Holocaust and, within the UK programme, subsequent genocides.
Its January 27 date is anchored to the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, while the UK institutional observance began decades later.
History of Holocaust Memorial Day
In October 1999, the UK Government published a consultation paper proposing a UK Holocaust Memorial Day.
National Records of Scotland records that on 26 January 2000 the Prime Minister and Home Secretary announced that the day would be marked for the first time on 27 January 2001.
UK government material states that Holocaust Memorial Day has been observed in the UK since 2001 with a national commemorative ceremony and participation by organisations across the country.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is a UK Government-established and funded charity that leads the national commemoration and supports regional activity.
The date is 27 January, the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
UK Government
National Records of Scotland records the October 1999 UK Government consultation proposing a UK Holocaust Memorial Day.
UK Government
UK Government decision and announcement following the 1999 Holocaust Memorial Day consultation
First documented observance
National Records of Scotland states that the UK day was to be marked for the first time on 27 January 2001; current government material says it has been observed in the UK since 2001.
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
The Executive Office states that HMDT is the charity established and funded by the UK Government to promote and support HMD in the UK and that it leads the national commemoration.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe Holocaust Memorial Day
Use authoritative government, archival and Holocaust-remembrance sources for historical and present-day descriptions.
Keep this page scoped to the United Kingdom rather than treating all January 27 observances worldwide as the same institutional event.
Describe the Holocaust and other genocides precisely, without political analogies or false equivalence.
For participation information, use current Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and government guidance.
Holocaust Memorial Day Facts
The UK date is 27 January.
The UK Government proposed the observance in a 1999 consultation.
The government announced the first UK marking on 26 January 2000.
The first UK Holocaust Memorial Day was marked on 27 January 2001.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust leads the current national commemoration in the UK.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
GOV.UK — Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 (opens in a new tab)
National Government
National Records of Scotland — Holocaust Memorial Day legacy box, administrative history of the 1999 consultation, 26 January 2000 announcement and first 27 January 2001 marking (opens in a new tab)
The Executive Office (Northern Ireland) — Holocaust Memorial Day: annual date, UK continuity and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust role (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK — Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (opens in a new tab)
National Government
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Holocaust Memorial Day?
27 January annually The documented recurrence rule is: 27 January.
Does Holocaust Memorial Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Holocaust Memorial Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Kingdom / national Holocaust remembrance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Holocaust Memorial Day?
The reviewed sources identify UK Government as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.
Is Holocaust Memorial Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United Kingdom. Its fuller verified scope is: United Kingdom / national Holocaust remembrance.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK?
It is commemorated each year on or around 27 January.
When was the first UK Holocaust Memorial Day?
The UK Government announced that the day would be marked for the first time on 27 January 2001.
Who leads the UK national commemoration today?
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust leads the national commemoration and supports regional activity, with UK Government funding and support.
Other observances on January 27
These observances are also listed on January 27, 2027.
Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum dates the liberation of Auschwitz to 27 January 1945 and continues to organize the annual liberation-anniversary commemoration on 27 January.
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
A/RES/60/7
Library Shelfie Day
The New York Public Library says Library Shelfie Day occurs every year on the fourth Wednesday of January and that the tradition started in 2014.
World Breast Pumping Day
Snugabell states that it created World Breast Pumping Day in 2017 and invites pumping parents to celebrate on January 27; independent 2018 coverage documents Snugabell as the creator and th…