Día das Letras Galegas

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The Día das Letras Galegas (Galician for "Galician Literature Day") is a holiday in Galicia, a region of Spain. This holiday has taken place on May 17 since 1963.

The first holiday took place in 1963 to commemorate the centenary of Cantares gallegos, the first work written in the Galician language by Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), who later became one of the most important poets in the history of Galicia. Cantares gallegos was first published on May 17, 1863.

Since 1963, each Day of Galician Literature has been dedicated to a different writer in the Galician language. This writer must be dead, and is chosen by the Real Academia Galega (Royal Galician Academy). There is only one precedent of a "shared" Day: in 1998, the festival was dedicated to Martín Codax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho, authors of cantigas de amigo during the Middle Ages.

Some Galician institutions use the Day of Galician Literature to promote the use and knowledge of Galician, which is not very widespread among the younger and more urban parts of the population.

In 2004, there was a combined celebration with different pro-linguistic activities running from the Day of Galician Literature (May 17) until the Day of Camões and Portuguese Literature (June 10), as the Galician and Portuguese languages are closely related.

[edit] Previously assigned authors on Galician Literature Day

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