Fallen Defenders Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day for Fallen Defenders was created by Armenia’s comprehensively restated Law on Holidays and Memorial Days, adopted in July 2026. Article 2 fixes the commemoration on January 27 and classifies it as non-working. Because the law entered into force on July 24, 2026, after that year’s January date had passed, this calendar begins the statutory occurrence in 2027 rather than applying the new holiday retroactively.

The date immediately precedes Army Day on January 28, creating a deliberate sequence: remembrance of people who lost their lives in defence of the homeland is followed by recognition of the armed forces as an institution. The statutory title is broad and does not limit commemoration to one conflict. Neutral presentation therefore centres on mourning, families and public memory rather than endorsing a political account of a territorial dispute.

Detailed annual ceremonies will develop after the first observance, so fixed rituals should not be invented. Wreath-laying, moments of silence, religious memorial prayers and support for bereaved families accord with established commemorative practice, but official programmes require yearly confirmation.