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Books are among life’s great joys. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a particular way to honor your love of books, there’s an informal holiday designed to help you do just that.
This would be World Book Day, a holiday established by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This festive occasion, which is celebrated in over 100 countries around the world, is designed to honor history’s great authors and stories while encouraging people everywhere to pick up books themselves.
When Is World Book Day Celebrated?
World Book Day is celebrated annually across the globe on April 23. This marks the date that authors William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega both died, among several other notable literary milestones.
April 23 is also celebrated as Shakespeare Day in some parts of the world, due to the fact that Shakespeare was born in April 1564 and died on April 23, 1616. While his exact birthday is not known, some celebrate it on April 23 and use this day to honor the Bard.
The History of World Book Day
The first official World Book Day was celebrated in 1995, but the occasion actually has its roots in the early 20th century. The holiday has been linked to the Diada de Sant Jordi, a Catalan holiday similar to Valentine’s Day that occurs on April 23 and traditionally involves giving gifts of either roses or, in more modern times, books.
In 1922, a Barcelona-based bookseller named Vicente Clavel came up with the idea of starting a World Book Day as a way to celebrate the author Miguel de Cervantes and promote book sales. Initially held on October 7, the day thought to be de Cervantes’ birthday, it was later moved to April 23, which was the day the author died. Some World Book Day festivities have naturally merged with Diada de Sant Jordi traditions over the years, and today, many bookstores in Spain will give away red roses with any books they sell on April 23.
In the 1990s, UNESCO chose April 23 for its first World Book and Copyright Day, largely because the date coincides with the deaths of Shakespeare and other notable authors. Today, it has become an international celebration of literacy and reading.
“World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading,” reads UNESCO’s website. “Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books—a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures.”
How to Celebrate World Book Day Today
Many libraries, bookstores, publishers, and museums hold events and celebrations on World Book Day, so it’s a great time to reach out to your local libraries and cultural institutions and see if anything is going on related to the occasion.
Some people also celebrate World Book Day by dressing up as beloved book characters, gifting books, or hosting or attending a book club meeting or a reading. Of course, the best way to celebrate this holiday might also be the most obvious: simply taking some time to actually curl up with a book.