Public holiday in Armenia
Genocide Memorial Day in Armenia
Friday, April 24, 2026
Nationwide public holiday
Genocide Memorial Day in Armenia is a nationwide public holiday dedicated to remembrance of the Armenian Genocide and its victims. It is observed on 24 April.
About Genocide Memorial Day in Armenia
The day is centered on national remembrance rather than celebration. In Armenia, it gives the public a formal occasion to reflect on the mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and on the enduring place of that history in Armenian national memory. As a nationwide public holiday, it has countrywide significance and is observed across Armenia on 24 April.
History
24 April is the date used in Armenia for commemorating the Armenian Genocide, because it recalls the arrests of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople in 1915, an event widely treated as the beginning of the genocide. The memorial day developed in the post-Soviet period as Armenia established an official public framework for remembrance after independence.
Traditions
Common commemorative symbols include flowers, especially the placing of flowers at genocide memorials and at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex in Yerevan. Candle-lighting and moments of silence are also associated with the day.
How Genocide Memorial Day is celebrated in Armenia
In contemporary Armenia, people often visit memorial sites, lay flowers and pay respects to victims and survivors. State officials and members of the public take part in remembrance activities, and the day is marked by a subdued tone rather than festive events.
Interesting facts
The principal memorial site in Yerevan is Tsitsernakaberd, which is closely associated with national observance of the day. The holiday date remains fixed on 24 April each year.
Dates in published calendars
Import sources
- Generic ICS feed
An import is not an independent verification.