The International
Day of Peace, also officially known as World Peace Day, is a United
Nations-sanctioned holiday observed annually on 21 September. It is
dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence,
such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first celebrated in 1981 and
is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people. To inaugurate
the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN
Headquarters (in New York City). The bell is cast from coins donated
by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from
the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of
the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live
absolute world peace".