Happy World Book Day!
In 1995, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) declared April 23 the “International Day of the Book” or “World Book Day.”
The reason this date was chosen to honour writing, literature, and the book itself is a fascinating one.
On April 23, 1616, two giants of English and Spanish literature died. England’s William Shakespeare, author of wonderful poetry and many great plays, died in England at the exact age of 52 (April 23 was also his birthdate). Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes, author of “Don Quixote,” one of the world’s first and greatest novels about a crazed elderly man who imagines he is a knight fighting imaginary battles (including jousting with a windmill), died in Madrid, aged 69.
At an audience of historians and writers a couple of years ago, I waxed lyrical about this coincidence. “Just imagine,” I exclaimed dramatically, “the two most celebrated English and Spanish writers dying at exactly the same time, one in his bed in Stratford-uponAvon, one in his bed in Madrid. Breathing their last breaths together! Amazing!”
My audience was very
But I was wrong! At the next meeting, I had to apologize for misleading them. Those two writers did not lie dying at the same time. They did both die on the same date, April 23, 1616. But Shakespeare actually died 11 days before Cervantes!
This surprising fact is explained by a change of calendars, from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. Please hang in there with me, while I try to understand and explain this.
From the time of Julius Caesar in 45 BC, most of the world operated under the Julian Calendar. It added an extra day to February every four years (leap years), while the scientists recognized that their calendar year gained about three days every four centuries compared to the actual seasons. Then in 1582, Gregory XIII became Pope. His scientists calculated that over the centuries 11 days had been lost, so the Gregorian Calendar was introduced to correct this error. The calendar you and I use now is this one.
Most European countries were Roman Catholic, so they immediately switched to the impressed. Gregorian Calendar. It decreed that people would go to bed on Thursday, Oct. 4, and wake up on Friday, Oct. 15!
But England was Protestant, so it did not switch calendars until 170 years later. Thus, Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, under the Julian Calendar, whilst Cervantes died 11 days later on April 23, 1616, under the Gregorian Calendar.
UNESCO grabbed onto this chance coincidence of death dates, and chose April 23 as their International Day of the Book.
April 23 each year is also celebrated as St. George’s Day in many countries. For example, he is the patron saint of both England and Barcelona in Spain (where the day is called La Diada de Sant Jordi). In England, a traditional custom on St. George’s Day is to wear a red rose in your lapel. In Barcelona, lovers exchange gifts. He gives her a red rose; she gives him a book! And booksellers present a red rose, or a cheaper red carnation, to anyone purchasing a book from them on that day.
I wish you all a Happy Book Day on April 23. Enjoy reading a book.