| Zamenhof Day | |
|---|---|
 Cake at a Zamenhof Day celebration in Nova Scotia, Canada, 2019 | |
| Official name | Zamenhofa Tago (Esperanto) |
| Also called | Esperanto Literature Day, Esperanto Day, Zamenhof's Birthday, Book Day |
| Observed by | International Esperanto community |
| Type | Cultural holiday |
| Date | 15 December |
| Next time | 15 December 2024 |
| Frequency | annual |
| Part of a series on |
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|---|
Zamenhof Day (Esperanto: Zamenhofa Tago, Polish: Dzień Zamenhofa), also called Esperanto Book Day,[1] is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof.[2] It is the most widely celebrated day in Esperanto culture.[3] On this day, Esperantists hold information sessions and cultural gatherings to promote literature in Esperanto.[1]
The history of celebrating Esperanto on Zamenhof's birthday can be traced back to 17 December 1878, when at a birthday party for his 19th birthday he presented to his friends his Lingwe uniwersala, the first version of his international language.[4][5] By 1887, this language had evolved into what is now recognized as Esperanto when he published the Unua Libro. 15 December previously used to be also known as Esperanto Day,[6] but that is now celebrated on 26 July, the day Unua Libro was published.[7] As of 1927 onwards, 15 December is celebrated within the Esperanto movement as Esperanto Book Day as it is customary to purchase a new book on Esperanto on that occasion.[8][9]
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