| Galician Literature Day | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Día das Letras Galegas |
| Observed by | Galicia |
| Type | Cultural |
| Date | May 17 |
Galician Literature Day (Galician: Día das Letras Galegas, Spanish: Día de las Letras Gallegas) is a public holiday observed in Galicia, Spain. Introduced by the Royal Galician Academy in 1963 it is a celebration of the Galician language and its literature. This celebration has taken place on May 17 since 1963. In the year 1991 was declared as a public holiday in all Galicia.
The first celebration 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 Galician Literature Day 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 day was dedicated to Martín Codax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho, together with the authors of the medieval songs (cantigas).