Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to pause and remember the millions of people who were murdered during the Holocaust in WW2. A gathering and remembrance. It is also the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

“Yes I do. It is about remembering when the Nazi’s killed the Jews and remembering their deaths,” said Fadumo Mohamed.

In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as an international day of commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. People are to honor the survivors of these regimes and challenge themselves to use the lessons of their experience to inform lives today.

Although Hitler wanted to create a super race of Arians, he himself wasn’t an Aryan. He and his Nazi army killed six million Jews, people with disabilities, the old, the weak, people with addictions, people who were attracted to their own sex and people who were a different race or ethnicity. All of them killed on sight or in death camps.

This day is globally known worldwide as an observation and not just a public holiday. The U.N. organizes and supports events for this day such as; concerts by musicians who have survived the Holocaust, art exhibitions influenced by the Holocaust, a special theme every year, and much more.

White roses are also an important factor during Holocaust Memorial Day. It is used to represent peace, freedom, and remembrance. It reminds people of the white rose, a non-violent resistance movement that was achieved in Germany from June 1942 to February 1943. Also these flowers in the U.S. and U.K. symbolize the investigation, remembrance, and prevention of genocide. This is why the United Nations urges every member state to honor victims of the Nazi era and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.

“The holocaust was a major event in history. It should be remembered,” Mohamed said.