World Youth Day

Currently from August 1st to August 6th, is World Youth Day.

World Youth Day is a celebration of the Youth all around the world. This is an annually held Days held in different countires with celebrations of Prayer, Mass, and a pilgrimage where children, priests, nuns, and others come. The Pope attends. While currently World Youth Day is ongoing we will talk about some past World Youth Days, and what it is about.

World Youth Day (WYD) is an event for young people organized originally by Pope John Paul II in 1985. For the first WYD in 1986, bishops were invited to schedule annual youth event to be held every Palm Sunday within their dioceses.It is celebrated at the diocesan level annually—on Palm Sunday from 1986 to 2020, and from 2021 on, on Christ the King—and celebrated internationally every two to three years at different locations.

World Youth Day is celebrated in a similar way to many other events. The most well known theme is the unity of different cultures. Flags and other other depictions of countries are displayed among young peoples. Usually done through chants and singing of other national songs involving a Catholic theme.Over the major events, national objects are traded betweenst pilgrims. Such as flags, shirts, crosses, and other Catholic icons are carried among pilgrims, which are traded as souvenirs to other people from different countries. Unity of acceptance among people is common, with different cultures coming together. Traditions include the Pope's appearance, commencing with his arrival in the city in the "Popemobile" and his final Mass held at the event. Pope Benedict XVI criticized the view of WYD as a "rock festival"; he said the event should not be considered a "variant of modern youth culture" but as that of a "long exterior and interior path".

World Youth Day has been held anually in the following years and places:

Number	Place	Year and Dates	Info
1	Vatican City	1984, 14-25 April	First World Youth Day, First World Youth Day hosted by Joh Paul II, First World Youth Day in Europe, First and only World Youth Day celebrated in the Vatican (Italy), First World Youth Day to be, First World YOuth Day to be celebrated in Spring
2	Rome, Italy	1985, 30-31 March	Second World Youth Day in Europe, First (or Second depending on how you view the Vatican) World Youth Day to be held in Italy, Second World YOuth Day to be celebrated in Spring
3	Buenos Aires, Argentina	1987, 6-12 April	First World Youth Day outside of Europe, First World Youth Day in South America, Third World YOuth Day to be celebrated in Spring
4	Santiago de Compostela, Spain	1989, 19-20 August	Third WYD in Europe, First WYD in August, First WYD to be celebrated in Spain, First World YOuth Day to be Celebrated in Summer
5	​Częstochowa, Poland	1991, 10-15 August	First WYD in Poland, Fourth WYD in Europe, First WYD in a Pope's Native Land, Second World Youth Day to be Celebrated in August, Second World Youth day to be Celebrated in Summer
6	Denver, Colorado, United States	1993, 10-15 August	​First WYD to be Celebrated in the US, First World Youth Day to be celebrated in North America, Third WYD to be celebrated in Summer
7	Manila, Philippines	1995, 10-15 January	First WYD in Philippines, First WYD in Asia, First WYD to be celebrated in Winter, First WYD to be celebrated on an Island
8	Paris, France	1997, 19-224 August	First WYD in France, Fifth WYD in Europe, Fourth WYD to be celebrated in Summer
9	Rome, Italy	2000, 15-20 August	Second (Third) WYD in Italy, Sixth WYD in Europe, fifth WYD celebrated in Summer
10	Toronto, Canada	2002, 23-28 July	Second WYD in North America, Last WYD to be celebrated by Pope John Paul II, First WYD to be Celebrated in Canada, sixth WYD in Summer
11	Cologne, Germay	2005, 16-21 August	First WYD to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, Second WYD to be celebrated in a Pope's native land, First WYD to be celebrated in Germany, Seventh WYD to be celebrated in Summer
12	Sydney, Australia	2008, 15-20 July	First WYD to be celebrated in Australia, First WYD in Oceania, Second WYD celebrated on an Island, Eighth WYD to be celebrated in Summer
13	Madrid, Spain	2011, 16-21 August	Last WYD attended by Pope Benidict XVI, Second WYD celebrated in Spain, Eighth WYD in Europe, Ninth WYD to be celebrated in Summer
14	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	2013, 23-28 July	​First WYD celebrated by Pope Francis, Second WYD celebrated in South America, Tenth WYD celebrated in Summer, First WYD to be celebrated in Brazil
15	Krakow, Poland	2016, 26-31 July	Second WYD to be celebrated in Poland, Ninth WYD to be celebrated in Europe, Eleventh WYD to be celebrated in Summer
16	Panama City, Panama	2019, 22-27 January	Second WYD to be celebrated in Winter, Third WYD to be celebrated in South America
17	Lisbon, Portugal	2023 1-6 August	Twelfth WYD to be celebrated in Summer, First WYD to be celebrated in Portugal, Originally supposed to be held in 2022, but was moved to 2023 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

The 2023 WYD was supposed to be held in 2022, but was moved to 2023, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.