Calendar of language days

Days of the year associated with a particular language: UN and UNESCO language days, national language days, public holidays and anniversaries. On such a day that language is the Language of the Day. Click one to show it on the globe.

January

• 1 JanAhoj! Slovak
  On 1 January 1993 Slovakia became an independent country, with Slovak as its official language.
• 10 Janनमस्ते! Hindi
  Today is World Hindi Day. It marks the first World Hindi Conference, which opened on 10 January 1975.
• 15 Jan안녕하세요! Korean
  Today North Korea celebrates Chosŏn'gŭl Day, its name for the Korean alphabet hangul.

February

• 6 FebBures! Northern Sami
  Today is Sámi National Day, celebrated by the Sámi in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
• 8 FebŽivjo! Slovene
  Today is Prešeren Day, Slovenia's day of culture. The poet France Prešeren died on 8 February 1849.
• 9 FebΓειά σου! Greek
  Today is World Greek Language Day, the anniversary of the death of Dionysios Solomos, who wrote the Greek national anthem.
• 16 FebLabas! Lithuanian
  On 16 February 1918 Lithuania declared independence. It is a national holiday.
• 21 Febনমস্কার! Bengali
  Today is International Mother Language Day (UNESCO). It remembers the students who marched in Dhaka on 21 February 1952 for the recognition of Bengali.
• 27 Febनमस्कार! Marathi
  Today is Marathi Language Day, held on the birthday of the poet Kusumagraj.

March

• 1 MarShwmae! Welsh
  Today is St David's Day, the day of the patron saint of Wales.
• 11 MarBok! Croatian
  The Days of the Croatian Language begin on 11 March.
• 14 MarTere! Estonian
  Today is Mother Tongue Day in Estonia, on the birthday of the poet Kristjan Jaak Peterson.
• 17 MarDia duit! Irish
  Today is St Patrick's Day, the day of the patron saint of Ireland.
• 20 MarBonjour! French
  Today is the UN's French Language Day and the International Day of La Francophonie.

April

• 8 AprSar san? Romani
  Today is International Romani Day. It marks the first World Romani Congress, which opened on 8 April 1971.
• 9 AprHei! Finnish
  Today is the Day of the Finnish Language, the anniversary of the death of Mikael Agricola, the father of written Finnish.
• 14 Aprგამარჯობა! Georgian
  Today is Georgian Language Day. On 14 April 1978 people in Tbilisi defended Georgian as an official language.
• 20 Apr你好! Mandarin Chinese
  Today is the UN's Chinese Language Day, honouring Cangjie, who according to legend invented Chinese characters.
• 23 AprHello! English
  Today the UN celebrates both English Language Day and Spanish Language Day. 23 April honours two great writers, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes.
• 27 AprHallo! Dutch
  Today is King's Day in the Netherlands.

May

• 3 MayCześć! Polish
  Today Poland celebrates its Constitution of 3 May 1791.
• 5 MayOlá! Portuguese
  Today is World Portuguese Language Day (UNESCO).
• 15 Mayسلام! Persian
  Around this day Iranians celebrate the poet Ferdowsi and the Persian language.
• 17 MayOla! Galician
  Today is Galician Literature Day (Día das Letras Galegas).
• 24 MayЗдравей! Bulgarian
  Today is the Day of Slavic Literacy and Culture, linked to Saints Cyril and Methodius. It is celebrated mainly in Bulgaria, and also in Russia and North Macedonia.

June

• 2 JunCiao! Italian
  Today is Republic Day in Italy.
• 5 JunHej! Danish
  Today is Constitution Day in Denmark.
• 6 JunПривет! Russian
  Today is the UN's Russian Language Day, on the birthday of the poet Alexander Pushkin.
• 21 JunAluu! Greenlandic
  Today is Greenland's National Day, the longest day of the year.
• 23 JunMoien! Luxembourgish
  Today is Luxembourg's National Day.

July

• 7 JulJambo! Swahili
  Today is World Kiswahili Language Day (UNESCO).
• 9 Julᐊᐃᓐᖓᐃ! Inuktitut
  Today is Nunavut Day. In this Canadian territory most people speak Inuktitut.
• 26 JulSaluton! Esperanto
  Today is Esperanto Day. On 26 July 1887 L. L. Zamenhof published the first textbook of this international planned language.
• 28 JulHalló! Faroese
  Ólavsøka, the national holiday of the Faroe Islands, begins today.
• 29 Julสวัสดี! Thai
  Today is Thai Language Day in Thailand.

August

• 5 AugHei! Norwegian
  Ivar Aasen, who created Nynorsk, one of the two written forms of Norwegian, was born on 5 August 1813.
• 9 AugRimaykullayki! Quechua
  Today is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Quechua, the language of the old Inca empire, is spoken by millions of people in the Andes today.
• 14 AugHallo! Afrikaans
  Today is Afrikaans Language Day. On 14 August 1875 a society was founded to promote it as a written language.
• 24 Augકેમ છો! Gujarati
  Today is Gujarati Language Day, on the birthday of the poet Narmad.
• 29 Augనమస్కారం! Telugu
  Today is Telugu Language Day, on the birthday of the linguist Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy.
• 31 AugBună! Romanian
  Today is Romanian Language Day.

September

• 2nd Saturday of SeptemberHallo! German
  Today is German Language Day (Tag der deutschen Sprache), started by the German Language Association. It is always the second Saturday in September.
• 14 SeptKia ora! Māori
  On 14 September 1972 Māori handed Parliament a petition for teaching Māori. Māori Language Week is held around this day.
• 16 SeptGude! Tok Pisin
  Today is Independence Day in Papua New Guinea.
• 19 SeptHello! English
  Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a joke holiday when people all over the world talk like pirates: “Ahoy, matey!”
• 23 SeptAhoj (signed) Czech Sign Language
  Today is the International Day of Sign Languages (UN). There are more than 300 sign languages in the world, each with its own grammar.
• 24 SeptSawubona! Zulu
  Today is Heritage Day in South Africa, once Shaka Day after the founder of the Zulu kingdom.
• 26 SeptLanguages of Europe
  European Day of Languages (Council of Europe). Instead of one Language of the Day, all European languages in the atlas are shown at once.
• 30 SeptSalve! Latin
  Today is International Translation Day (UN), the feast of St Jerome, patron of translators. Around the year 400 he translated the Bible into Latin.

October

• 3 OctHallo! German
  Today is German Unity Day. Germany was reunited on 3 October 1990.
• 9 Oct안녕하세요! Korean
  Today is Hangul Day in South Korea, the day of the Korean alphabet created in the 15th century under King Sejong the Great.
• 10 OctBula! Fijian
  Today is Fiji Day. Fiji became independent on 10 October 1970.
• 12 Oct¡Hola! Spanish
  Today is Spain's National Day.
• 28 OctAhoj! Czech
  Czechoslovakia was founded on 28 October 1918. It is a national holiday.
• 29 OctMerhaba! Turkish
  Today is Republic Day. Turkey was proclaimed on 29 October 1923.

November

• 1 Novನಮಸ್ಕಾರ! Kannada
  Today is Karnataka Rajyotsava, the day the Indian state of Karnataka, where Kannada is spoken, was formed.
• 5 NovSar san? Romani
  Today is International Day of the Romani Language. It has been celebrated since 2009, when Roma in Croatia started it, and reminds us that Romani is a living, rich language.
• 6 NovHej! Swedish
  Today is Swedish Day, celebrated mainly by Swedish speakers in Finland.
• 9 NovПривіт! Ukrainian
  Today is the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language.
• 13 NovSzia! Hungarian
  Today is Hungarian Language Day. Hungarian became the official language of Hungary on 13 November 1844.
• 16 NovHalló! Icelandic
  Today is Icelandic Language Day, on the birthday of the poet Jónas Hallgrímsson.
• 18 NovSveiki! Latvian
  The Republic of Latvia was proclaimed on 18 November 1918. It is a national holiday.
• 22 NovTungjatjeta! Albanian
  Today is Albanian Alphabet Day. On 22 November 1908 a congress in Bitola agreed how to write Albanian.
• 30 NovHalò! Scottish Gaelic
  Today is St Andrew's Day, the day of the patron saint of Scotland.

December

• 3 DecKaixo! Basque
  Today is International Basque Language Day.
• 18 Decمرحبا! Arabic
  Today is the UN's Arabic Language Day. Arabic became an official UN language on 18 December 1973.

On all other days the Language of the Day moves around the world, each day to the next nearest language.