World Heritage Day, or International Day of Monuments and Sites, is celebrated annually on April 18 to highlight the importance of cultural heritage and the efforts needed to protect and preserve it. The idea of creating the day was first suggested by the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 and later endorsed by UNESCO in 1983. It is observed through various types of activities such as visits to monuments and heritage sites, conferences, seminars, and publishing articles. Scroll down to learn more about World Heritage Day and interesting facts related to worldwide heritage.
World Heritage Day 2024 Date
International Day of Monuments and Sites, also called World Heritage Day, is an annual celebration held around the world on April 18th. The main goal of establishing the day is to uphold important heritages from around the world and raise awareness to preserve them. This year, World Heritage Day will be celebrated on Thursday, 18 April 2024.
History of World Heritage Day
The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), was the first to propose the creation of the International Day of Monuments and Sites on April 18, 1982. Their vision was approved by the UNESCO General Assembly in 1983 at its 22nd general session. The first Global Heritage Day was observed in 1983, and cultural heritage recognition has since become an important issue. The main theme of this day is the importance of preserving cultural heritage, monuments, their vulnerability, and collective efforts to strengthen them.
World Heritage Day Theme 2024
The International Monuments Council and Sites pick a theme each year, for example, the theme for 2023 was "Heritage Changes". The official theme for World Heritage Day 2024 has not yet been announced. Keep in mind that the most important aim of this day is to raise awareness of the importance of these sites and encouragement to preserve them. Please keep visiting our website; we will update the 2024 theme once it is published.
World Heritage Day Celebration
Every year, a variety of events and activities are held around the world to mark International Day of Monuments and Sites. These include heritage site tours, educational programs, exhibitions, cultural exhibitions, etc. It focuses on raising awareness of cultural heritage and further encouraging people to preserve it. In addition, the World Heritage Committee meets annually to ensure that new sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List and to oversee the protection of existing sites.
How to Celebrate World Heritage Day
There are a number of ways to celebrate the International Day of Monuments and Sites. Here we have given you 5 best ideas to celebrate World Heritage Day:
1. VISIT WORLD HERITAGE SITES
It is an opportunity to set out for a world heritage site tour. Select any local or farthest heritage site approved by UNESCO with your friends or family. By doing so, you're supporting the preservation of these priceless sites and promoting their value to the world.
2. ARRANGE A MULTICULTURAL POTLUCK
Multicultural potlucks are a place to build community and connection while celebrating diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Regardless of the nature of the cuisine, each dish carries a story, a history, and a heritage, and is a unique opportunity to cross borders and share new experiences.
3. CREATE A FAMILY TREE
Creating a family tree is also a beautiful idea to celebrate the International Day of Monuments and Sites. By making this, you're living a sign for your future generations. They will feel proud to see their ancestors. Visit Ancestry.com for amazing family tree ideas.
4. ATTEND A CULTURAL EXHIBITION
On this day, you'll find cultural exhibitions where cultural property are collected and put on display to the public. The aim of placing the exhibition is to offer educational value, cultural values which often tell a story.
5. MAKE A VIDEO
You can make a video on cultural or heritage sites in your country and post them on social media or YouTube. This would encourage us to protect these sites and recognize their importance to our communities and the world.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, a number of Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, which celebrates the stories, traditions, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Visit HispanicHeritageMonth for more inforamtion.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Sites are the most important places for people to see, for their present and future generations, and are recognized by UNESCO. As of the latest announcement in January 2024, there are 1,199 World Heritage sites in 168 countries, of which 933 are cultural, 227 are natural, and 39 are mixed. Here we listed the 10 high-rated UNESCO heritage sites around the world.
Top 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Taj Mahal (India)
- Machu Picchu (Peru)
- Angkor Wat (Cambodia)
- Petra (Jordan)
- Great Wall of China (China)
- The Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt)
- Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
- Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
- Roman Colosseum (Rome)
- Chitwan National Park (Nepal)
UNESCO Heritage Sites in the United States
A total of 25 World Heritage Sites in the United States, approved by UNESCO with a further 18 on the tentative list. The sites are:
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Independence Hall
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek # * 34
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Olympic National Park
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Statue of Liberty
- La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico
- Yosemite National Park #
- Chaco Culture
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park #
- Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
- Taos Pueblo
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Papahānaumokuākea
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park *
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point
- San Antonio Missions
- Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
- The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
UNESCO Heritage Sites in Canada
There are a total of 22 World Heritage sites approved by UNESCO in Canada. They are:
- L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
- Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Nahanni National Park #
- Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek # * 6
- Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- SGang Gwaay
- Wood Buffalo National Park
- Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks # 7
- Historic District of Old Québec
- Gros Morne National Park
- Old Town Lunenburg
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park *
- Miguasha National Park
- Rideau Canal
- Landscape of Grand Pré
- Red Bay Basque Whaling Station
- Mistaken Point
- Joggins Fossil Cliffs
- Pimachiowin Aki
- Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi
- Anticosti Island
UNESCO Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
There are a total of 33 World Heritage sites approved by UNESCO in the UK. These include:
- Durham Castle and Cathedral
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
- Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
- Ironbridge Gorge
- St Kilda
- Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
- Stonehenge, Avebury, and Associated Sites
- Blenheim Palace
- City of Bath
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire * 31
- Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
- Henderson Island
- Tower of London
- Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
- Gough and Inaccessible Islands 32
- Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
- Heart of Neolithic Orkney
- Maritime Greenwich
- Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
- Fortifications, Bermuda
- Derwent Valley Mills
- Historic Town of St George and Related
- Dorset and East Devon Coast
- New Lanark
- Saltaire
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City Delisted 2021
- Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
- The Forth Bridge
- Gorham's Cave Complex
- The English Lake District
- Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
- Jodrell Bank Observatory
- The Great Spa Towns of Europe *
- The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
(Source/UNESCO)
RBC Heritage
RBC Heritage stands for the Royal Bank of Canada. The RBC Heritage, also known as the Heritage Classic or The Heritage, is a PGA Tour event in South Carolina, first played in 1969. It is currently played in mid-April, a week after The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Since 2011, the tournament has been operated without a title sponsor and then the Royal Bank of Canada came up as the title sponsor of The Heritage in 2012. The Heritage Classic Foundation is currently organizing the RBC Heritage.
Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions is an American multinational auction house based in Dallas, Texas, founded in 1976. Heritage is an auction house for numismatic collections, fine art, comic books, books, real estate, luxury accessories, and sells film, music, history, and sports memorabilia.
World Heritage Day 2024: Greetings, Wishes, and Messages
Here we added some World Heritage Day wishes, messages, and greetings that you can share with your friends from various communities:
- Happy World Heritage Day! Let’s be proud of our native heritage and spread it with the world. Let's protect it for generations to come this World Heritage Day.
- Let's cherish our world heritage by recognizing the importance of protecting our natural and cultural heritage. Happy International Day of Monuments and Sites!
- Celebrate the uniqueness and beauty of our natural resources in this World Heritage Day. This year let us honor and celebrate the diversity of our world heritage.
- May all the precious heritages in the world continue to thrive for years to come. Greetings on this World Heritage Day!
- Happy World Heritage Day! Let us celebrate and cherish our shared cultural and natural heritage on the International Day of Monuments and Sites.
World Heritage Day 2024: Captions and WhatsApp Status
Below are some inspiring World Heritage Day statuses and captions for you to share on social media:
- This International Day of Monuments and Sites, let's take a pledge to preserve and protect the world’s resources. #WorldHeritageDay
- Join us in protecting the world’s resources for generations to come this World Heritage Day. Happy World Heritage Day!
- This World Heritage Day, let's feel the importance of preserving our culture and traditions for our future generations. #WorldHeritageDay2024
- Let’s come along to celebrate the global pride of heritages and the richness and diversity of our natural resources on World Heritage Day.
- Happy World Heritage Day! Let’s celebrate our individual heritages together and promote and honor cultural exchange. #InternationalDay ofMonumentsandSites
World Heritage Day Quotes
Here are some cultural heritage quotes collected from prominent personalities for you to share on World Heritage Day:
"People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians." — George Lucas
"I've got to where I am in life not because of something I brought to the world but through something I found - the wealth of African culture." — Hugh Masekela
"Our Nation has a diverse and extremely rich cultural heritage. It is a source of pride and strength to millions of Americans who look to the arts for inspiration, communication and the opportunity for creative self-expression." — Gerald R. Ford
"Part of your heritage in this society is the opportunity to become financially independent." — Jim Rohn
"We have been the benefactors of our cultural heritage and the victims of our cultural narrowness." — Stanley Krippner
"The hungry and the homeless don't care about liberty any more than they care about cultural heritage. To pretend that they do care is cant." — E. M. Forster
"Happiness is a very proud word of our whole cultural heritage." — Erich Fromm
"Our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our nation" — Nelson Mandela
"A concerted effort to preserve our heritage is a vital link to our cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational and economic legacies - all of the things that quite literally make us who we are." — Steve Berry
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." — Marcus Garvey
In partnership with ICOMOS, the UNESCO World Heritage Center assists inclusive and diverse perspectives on heritage recognition, and conservation for future generations. Let's wage recognizing calls for greater global inclusion and diversity. World Heritage Day invites us all to reflect on, challenge, and explore existing histories.