International Mother Language Day
Every year on February 21, the world honors the first language we ever learned to love. International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999, celebrates linguistic diversity and multilingualism, and remembers the students who gave their lives in Dhaka in 1952 for the right to speak Bengali.
- Roots
- Proclaimed unanimously by UNESCO's General Conference on 17 November 1999, on a proposal brought by Bangladesh honoring the 1952 Bengali Language Movement
- Also on Feb 21
- Sticky Bun Day · Boiled Peanuts Day · Grain-Free Day
- Hashtag
- #InternationalMotherLanguageDay
3 ways to celebrate
Speak Your Story
Read a favorite childhood poem or story aloud in your mother tongue, and record a grandparent telling a tale in theirs. These small recordings become family treasures.
Trade Phrases With Friends
Teach your friends a greeting, a blessing, or a joke in your first language, and learn one of theirs in return. Language tastes better shared.
Join a Local Celebration
Look for a library reading, school program, or cultural festival marking the day. Many communities host multilingual story hours and song circles on February 21.
Plan ahead
International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 every year. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.
Fast facts
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