German World Children’s Day
German World Children’s Day is observed annually on September 20th and is one of two days dedicated to children in Germany. However, just because there are two days dedicated to children doesn’t mean that every German observes both holidays every year.
Germany (Observance)The reason for this is that when Germany was divided into East and West by the Allies following WWII, each area decided to celebrate its own children’s day.
Of course, some people in Germany may decide to go ahead and celebrate both of these children’s holidays if they want. Regardless of which Children’s Day is observed, one thing is for sure: the welfare of children will be held in high regard by everyone celebrating.
The History of German World Children’s Day
Although Children’s Days can be traced all the way back to the mid-19th century in the U.S., for the purpose of this article, we’ll concentrate on the worldwide adoption of this holiday.
On December 14, 1954, a joint resolution was passed by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage all countries to institute their own Universal Children’s Day. On November 20, 1959, the UN adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This created World Children’s Day.
After the Allies split Germany into two separate countries, West Germany decided to celebrate Universal Children’s Day as World Children’s Day. East Germany decided not to recognize this universal celebration at all but instead decided to keep celebrating International Children’s Day on June 1st.
Today, Germany only recognizes German World Children’s Day, but some German families may celebrate International Children’s Day, and some families may even observe both holidays.
Some Quick Facts About Germany
Since this holiday is observed in Germany, we thought we’d inform and regale everyone with some interesting facts about Germany. We think that just about everyone will find the following factoids interesting. With that said, let’s dig into them below.
- The population of Germany in 2020 was 83.24 million.
- The largest train station in all of Europe is located in Berlin.
- The first book ever printed was printed in German.
- Approximately 130 million people speak German as their primary or secondary language.
- Germany has the most zoos in the world, with over 400 of them.
- Germany is home to over 13 million immigrants.
Observing German World Children’s Day
All across Germany, there are a variety of different children’s parties — particularly in Berlin. There are also festivals, and many people take their children to child-friendly events. People also use the hashtags #Weltkindertag or #GermanWorldChildrensDay to spread the word about this day.
Germany (Observance)
