World Day of Peace is a Roman Catholic Church holiday celebrated annually on January 1 on the feast day of Our Lady of Mary. On December 8, 1967, Pope Paul VI proclaimed the World Day of Peace. Catholics call it the Day of Global Prayer for Peace. For several years it was celebrated on the first day of each new year. On December 17, 1969, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the World Day of Peace as an official holiday, during which believers call upon God to end all wars and send people peace on Earth, Calendars reports.

The general slogan of the World Day of Peace was "Forgive and you will find peace." The fight against poverty, peace-building in the world, reducing tensions in international and inter-state relations, human rights and women's rights, economic development - these are some of the themes of the annual pre-World Day messages of the pontiffs to the faithful. World Peace Day is a day off in the Vatican; in Brazil it is celebrated as World Fraternity Day.