Chinese Language Day - 20th April

Tags: Important Days

Every year, on April 20, the United Nations Chinese Language Day is observed.

An overview of the news

• Its purpose is to celebrate the Chinese language, one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

• The day also aims to create a platform for people around the world to learn the Chinese language.

• The day creates general awareness about the Chinese language and promotes multilingual culture and diversity among the people.

Significance of the day

• The day also aims to remember the contribution of Cangzi, a mythological figure who is believed to have invented Chinese characters.

Background of the day

• The date for Chinese Day was chosen from Gayu ("Rain of Millet"), the sixth of the 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendar.

• This day has been chosen to pay tribute to Kangxi. Cangzi is a very important figure in ancient China, claiming to be an official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters.

• In 2010, the United Nations Department of Public Information (now the Department of Global Communications) announced the launch of United Nations Language Day.

• It aims to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of the six official languages.

• Chinese Language Day was celebrated for the first time on 12 November 2010 and since 2011 the United Nations Chinese Language Day is celebrated on 20 April.

Official languages of the united nations

• There are six official languages of the United Nations.

• These are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish and the United Nations has established language days for its six official languages.

United Nations Other Languages Day

• March 20 - French Day

• April 23 - English Day (birthday of William Shakespeare)

• April 23 - Spanish Language Day

• June 6 - Russian Language Day (Alexander Ruskin's birthday)

• 18 December - Arabic Language Day