International Literacy Day: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about International Literacy Day (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. International Literacy Day is observed on September 8th.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of International Literacy Day, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as fun facts you might want to know about International Literacy Day.

📅 What day is International Literacy Day 2024?

In 2024, International Literacy Day is on Friday, September 8th. It is the 2nd Friday in September; in 2024, it is Sunday. There are until the next observance. You also can see all the fun details and facts about September 8, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

International Literacy Day is celebrated every year on September 8th to raise awareness about literacy problems on a global scale. It was established by UNESCO in 1966 to emphasize the significance of literacy as a fundamental human right. By observing this day, we acknowledge the responsibility of local communities in tackling illiteracy and understand that literacy is built through individual efforts. Utilizing resources like Scholaroo, a website that provides scholarship information from various countries, can be a way to commemorate International Literacy Day.

📜 International Literacy Day History

What exactly is literacy? It refers to the ability to read and write, and being educated. It may be surprising to know that there are people in our own community who are unable to read basic things like books, menus, signs, ballots, manuals, labels, or even a simple note. Just imagine how difficult it would be to navigate through modern life without the ability to read and write. International Literacy Day aims to eliminate illiteracy in communities worldwide. The idea for this day originated from the 1965 “World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy” in Tehran, Iran. UNESCO then declared September 8 as International Literacy Day the following year, with the main objective of reminding the world about the importance of literacy and the need for concerted efforts towards creating more literate societies. The first International Literacy Day was observed a year later, as the world embraced the challenge of eradicating illiteracy.

✅ International Literacy Day Facts

🔖 Community participation
If individuals, regardless of their age, lack reading and writing skills, they are more inclined to refrain from participating in society. Consequently, both adults and children are unable to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of society.

🔖 Effective Communication
Acquiring the skills of reading and writing enhances our ability to effectively interact with others. It improves our language proficiency, enabling us to express our emotions, opinions, and thoughts in a more articulate and understandable manner.

🔖 Brain health
Research suggests that engaging in activities such as reading, writing, and working with numbers regularly can help preserve the health of brain cells as we grow older. This, in turn, reduces the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in the future.

👍 Why Is International Literacy Day Important

International Literacy Day serves as a reminder that illiteracy exists in affluent societies as well as third-world countries. It is an issue that requires our attention and participation to be solved.

We shudder just thinking about how different our lives would be if we couldn’t read or write. International Literacy Day provides an opportunity to pause and express gratitude to our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and others who invested their time in teaching us to read and write when we were young. We appreciate our literacy and are grateful for it.

Some issues appear to be so large and overpowering that they appear to be unsolvable. However, breaking the cycle of illiteracy is a task that may be overcome one kid and one adult at a time. Even initiatives like the government providing access to charter schools might be beneficial.

🙂 How To Observe International Literacy Day

⚡ Start a community lending library

⚡ Donate books to local classrooms
To keep young children interested in reading, it is important to ensure that elementary school classroom libraries always have new books available. You can ask your child’s teacher for a list of books that they believe their students would enjoy and contribute them to the classroom. If you don’t have a child in school, you can also reach out to colleagues, family, or neighbors and inquire about making a donation to their children’s classroom libraries. By doing this, you can become a hero to these students on International Literacy Day.

⚡ Gift a book
Today, gather your family, friends, or neighbors and build a tiny lending library in your community. Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, established the first “Free Little Library” in 2009 to make book sharing more accessible and available to individuals in his town at all times. His “take a book, return a book” philosophy is based on the honor system. We enjoy that these mini libraries are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no late fees or fines.

📅 When is International Literacy Day?

Explore all 🔗 September holidays, including 🔗 Cause and other 🔗 Activities holidays.

We will continue to update this page with new information and cool facts about International Literacy Day. So be sure to check back soon.