International Museum Day 2023: International Museum Day is observed on May 18 each year. Since 1977, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has annually observed this day to honour the international museum community. Museums are essential for the development of civil coexistence and cooperation between nations and communities, as well as for cultural exchange and enrichment. This day encourages individuals to visit institutions devoted to a variety of human endeavours, including agriculture, fashion, astronomy, archaeology, art, and natural history. Let us embark on a journey to museums and discover our historical heritage together.
International Museum Day’s Past
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) conducted a meeting entitled “Crusade for Museums” in 1951, during which the international museum community discussed the topic “Museums and Education.” At this meeting, the strategy for museum accessibility was devised, which inspired the creation of International Museum Day.
International Museum Day was first celebrated in 1977 in Moscow, when the I.C.O.M. General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the establishment of an annual event to further integrate creative objectives and museum efforts in order to draw global attention to museums’ contributions to humanity. It also promotes the notion that museums are conduits for fostering mutual comprehension, interaction, and world peace.
The organisation chooses a new theme annually. Since 1977, every museum in the globe has been required to organise and participate in activities to promote the value of museums to society.
Since its inception, International Museum Day’s prominence has steadily increased. Indicative of the fact that the study of history enables us to comprehend how societies behaved, the number of participants has increased consistently over the past 15 years.
More individuals than ever before visit museums around the globe today. There are also more university students studying history than ever before.
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ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DAY OF THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM
Visit your local museum
Local museum visits are one of the best methods to observe International Museum Day. This can be done alone, with companions, or with your children.
Explore the virtual environment
You can virtually visit a museum if you do not want to wait in queue or deal with throngs. In some respects, taking a virtual tour of a museum is practical, as some of the more popular museums are likely to be crowded with visitors.
Share your thoughts on social networks
You can share your thoughts or opinions about International Museum Day or a museum you recently visited on social media. This encourages others to visit museums.
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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MUSEUMS
The British Museum required a formal proposal
The British Museum, which was established by an Act of Parliament in 1753 and originally housed in a magnificent mansion in Bloomsbury, required visitors to submit a formal application for nearly half a century prior to admittance.
The word’museum’ derives from the Greek’mouseion’
The term “museum” is derived from the Greek word mouseion, which alludes to temples devoted to the Muses and the arts.
Egypt Museum was the most popular tourist destination.
Ptolemy I Soter constructed the Museum of Alexandria in approximately 300 B.C., and it was once the most popular tourist attraction in the world.
Art collections were once symbols of status
During the Renaissance, wealthy merchant and banking families amassed art collections as prestige symbols in response to a renewed interest in classical art and architecture, which led to the establishment of modern museums.
Museology is concerned with collection management
Museology is the expansive and fascinating study of collection curation (the maintenance of objects in museum collections) and the public display of collections.
Why We Appreciate International Museum Day
Museums instruct and invigorate
International Museum Day honours the role that museums play in educating and inspiring future generations. These institutions acquire and preserve artefacts and specimens that are extraordinarily beneficial to the study of cultures.
They preserve regional heritage
Regardless of what transpires, museums are where culture is adequately documented. They enable individuals from diverse cultural contexts to comprehend the culture.
They are evidence of our history.
Museums remind us of our history and inform us of how nations struggled, were established, and were liberated from colonialism. They recount the history of mankind since the beginning of time.
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | May 18 | Thursday |
| 2024 | May 18 | Saturday |
| 2025 | May 18 | Sunday |
| 2026 | May 18 | Monday |
| 2027 | May 18 | Tuesday |
