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Iconic British landmarks bathed in purple light to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

The Houses of Parliament, Wembley Stadium and the London Eye among 25 sites across the country lit up to remember six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust

January 27, 2021, 7:43 pm Edit
The London Eye commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day
The London Eye commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day

The Houses of Parliament, Wembley Stadium and the London Eye are among iconic British landmarks bathed in purple at the country marks Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD).

At 8pm, the nation will pause for a moment of reflection by lighting candles in their homes, after a day of tributes and memorials, featuring the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and communal organisations.

The initiative is based on this year’s theme of Be The Light In The Darkness, and includes more than 25 locations across Country, from Blackpool Tower and the Imperial War Museums to Canterbury Cathedral and Durham Castle, as well as billboards.

This year’s HMD theme was decided 18 months ago before the global pandemic, which has seen disruption in all areas of life – including Holocaust education and survivor testimony – which has been moved into the virtual world.

Speaking ahead of HMD, Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said: “As with everything else, we’ve had to change how we mark Holocaust Memorial Day this year. Our priority was to keep contributors, especially Holocaust survivors, safe.

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“We are so grateful to everyone who made HMD happen this year: the government, celebrity readers, landmarks and billboards that lit up in purple – and to people across the UK who put candles in their windows. It has enabled everyone – despite the pandemic – to learn from genocide for a better future’.” 

A virtual ceremony will also be presented by the BBC’s Naga Munchetty, featuring Premier League stars giving a message of unity against racism, and messages from political and religious figures, as well as celebrity readers including as Bear Grylls, Rob Rinder and Tobias Menzies.

Holocaust Memorial Day (January 27) marks the genocide of millions of Jews and other minorities during the Second World War at the hands of the Nazis, although lockdown measures mean this year’s memorial ceremony will be streamed online only.

View some of the buildings lit up in purple light here:

Houses of Parliament and the London Eye

Houses of Parliament:

Houses of Parliament lit up for HMD

Blackpool Tower:

Blackpool Tower lit up for Holocaust Memorial Day (Ashley Barnard Photography)

Wembley Stadium:

Durham Cathedral: 

Durham Cathedral lit up for Holocaust Memorial Day

Royal Liver Building, Liverpool:

The Millennium Centre: 

The Lowry:

The Lowry

PWC’s London HQ:

Imperial War Museum in London:

Harlow Council:

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