In this article, I am going to talk about the International Mother Language Day, celebrated every year on February 21st. Why is this day so important? What gave birth to this celebration? If you want to know more about this day, keep reading!

How important is our language to us? How much do you take care of it by protecting and passing it on to the new generations as a precious gift?

The answers to these questions may seem obvious for us who live in countries where freedom reigns supreme. But for many and many others, it is not so.

The International Mother Language Day, established by UNESCO in 1999, was created to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism and is celebrated on February 21st of each year.

The day February 21st was not chosen at random, but to remember what happened back in 1952. A group of Bengali students was killed by the Pakistani police (Bangladesh was part of Pakistan at the time) while protesting for the recognition of Bengali as the official language.

The protection and enhancement of a language, as well as its “rise” to the rank of the official language, should not lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, but should serve to highlight the beauty of diversity. Each language is a treasure of history, traditions, customs that make each people unique.

On this day we can celebrate our own language but, at the same time, all the languages of the world. The languages can be the vehicle of exchange and growth.

Did you like this article about International Mother Language Day? Leave your comment, I can’t wait to read it!

ilaria firma
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Read this text in Italian!

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Credit photo: giuntiscuola.it