This week we are celebrating The International Museum Day!

The International Museum Day 

The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day on and around 18 May 2017. 

The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.” Organised on and around 18 May each year, the events and activities planned to celebrate International Museum Day can last a day, a weekend or a whole week. 

The History of Museum Day 

International Museum day had been celebrated since the XI conference of the International Council of museums, held in Leningrad and Moscow, on the proposal of the Russian delegation took the decision to establish an annual professional Museum Day. 

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) created International Museum Day in 1977. The organization chooses a different theme for the day and coordinates every year. Some of the themes include globalisation, indigenous peoples, brigding culture gaps and caring for the environment. The theme chosen for 2017 is "Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums". 

How to Celebrate Museum Day 

There is no better way to celebrate Museum Day than to take a trip down to a nearby museum, either alone, with friends, or even your children if you feel they are old enough to appreciate the place. Depending on where you live, the museums you might be closest to could be ones connected with anything from farming to fashion, from astronomy to archaeology, from art to natural history. If it turns out that the museums in your immediate area are not ones that would interest you, maybe you could consider a day trip to a nearby city to visit a museum better suited to your interests?