International Mother Language Day falls on February 21 each year, celebrating linguistic diversity worldwide. In 2026, it marks UNESCO’s Silver Jubilee with the theme “Languages Matter: Silver Jubilee Celebration & Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development,” honoring Bangladesh’s 1952 Language Movement martyrs.
మాతృ భాషా దినోత్సవం చరిత్ర (History of Mother Language Day)
UNESCO proclaimed February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999, first observed in 2000, commemorating Bengali students killed in Dhaka for demanding Bangla as a state language against Urdu imposition. This sacrifice inspired global recognition of over 8,300 languages, many endangered, promoting multilingualism and cultural preservation.
Activities:
- Speak/read only mother tongue for a day.
- Create bilingual content or apps.
- Donate to language preservation NGOs.
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