What is the Galician Literature Day?

The Day of Galician Letters is a special celebration that takes place every May 17 of the Spanish calendar. This date is dedicated to all those people who stand out for their literary creation in the Galician language or for their defense of that language. This day is a holiday in the Galician calendar.

Every year, the Day of Galician Letters is dedicated to a different personality, which is chosen by the Royal Galician Academy . For this 2021, the day is dedicated to Xela Arias; writer, poet, translator, editor and teacher of Galician. For a person to be honored, they must have been dead for at least ten years.

How was the Day of Galician Letters born?

The Galician Literature Day is celebrated every May 17 since 1963 by the Royal Galician Academy in order to pay tribute to literary creation and for the defense of the language. This day is celebrated thanks to Rosalía de Castro, who on May 17, 1863 , Cantares Gallegos was published in Havana, a work that marked the "Rexurdimento" or rebirth of Galician culture.

Since the establishment of this French celebration, only in 1998 was there a joint dedication to Martín Codax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho, medieval poets famous for their cantingas.

Last year, the tribute went to Ricardo Carvalho Calero, philosopher and writer, who was also a full member of the Royal Galician Academy and the first professor of Galician Linguistics and Literature at the University of Santiago.