Spanish Language Day

To honor the second most spoken language in the world, Spanish Language Day is created.

Origin of Spanish Language Day

The Spanish language is of Spanish origin. At present, Spanish are used by more than 450 million people in the world. Only the Chinese language has surpassed Spanish to become the most spoken language in the world. After English and French, Spanish is the third language that is studied most in the world. About 75 million people around the world speak Spanish as their second language.

It's no surprise that Mexico is the most Spanish-speaking country in the world. Spanish is the official language in 19 different countries as below:

• Argentina
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Equatorial Guinea
• Puerto Rico
• Cuba
• Spain

The United States ranks second in the number of Hispanic speakers. About 43 million people in the United States speak Spanish as a first language. This number continues to increase every year. Spanish is the foreign language that is studied so much in the United States. About 70 percent of kindergartens learn to speak this language.

Spanish is considered as an official language ​​of the United Nations. Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Russian are the official languages of the United Nations.

Since 2010, Spanish Language Day was established by UNESCO in order to commemorate multilingualism and cultural diversity. They also try to promote the usage of six official languages equally. To commemorate the death of Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra, it is chosen on April 23rd every year.

Francophone Day on March 20th, Chinese Language Day on April 20th, English Language Day on April 23rd, Spanish Language Day on April 23rd. Russian Language on June 6 and Arabic Language Day on December 18th are some typical holidays dedicated for languages. International Mother Language Day on February 21st and International Translation Day on September 30th are also celebrated.

How to celebrate Spanish Language Day

Events and activities are held around the world in Spanish-speaking regions. One of the most popular events is the reading of one of Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra's most famous novels, Don Quixote. To participate on this day:

• Read Don Quixote or another novel by Miguel De Cervantes, such as The Dogs Dialogue or The Gypsy Girl.
• Discover other Spanish authors including Julia Alvarez, Carlos Fuentes and Rosa Montero.
• Make a commitment to learning Spanish, or if you did it in high school, hone your Spanish skills.
• Listen to music. For example:  “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna, “La Bamba” by Richie Valens, “Te Amo” by Rihana and “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin.

Whichever way you choose to celebrate, be sure to share your favorite Spanish phrase on social media with #SpanishLanguageDay.