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19 July: what is celebrated today
There are dates that combine solemnity and play, historical memory and everyday lightness. 19 July is one of them. A day that invites us, on the one hand, to think about the deep bonds linking countries and cultures on both sides of the Atlantic and, on the other, to remember that the body and humour are also part of our way of being in the world. Identity and gesture, shared history and spontaneous laughter, coexist on today's calendar.
Ibero-America Day
Ibero-America Day has been celebrated every 19 July since 2020 to commemorate a shared space built from history, language and cooperation between Latin America, Spain and Portugal. The date refers to the meeting held in 1991 in Guadalajara, Mexico, which gave rise to the Ibero-American Community of Nations and, later, the Ibero-American General Secretariat.
Beyond institutions, Ibero-America is a living network of cultures, accents, music, literatures and intertwined memories. This day recalls that historical affinities can become tools for dialogue, social justice and building a shared future, in a world marked by inequalities and global tensions.
Celebrating Ibero-America means recognising diversity as a strength: multiple identities that do not cancel each other out, but engage in dialogue. It is also an invitation to strengthen cultural, educational and social cooperation, understanding that the shared past only makes sense if it is projected towards a fairer tomorrow.
World Tongue-Out Day
In a much more playful register, 19 July is also World Tongue-Out Day, an informal celebration that champions the most universal gesture of irreverence. Sticking out one’s tongue, traditionally associated with bad manners, is redefined here as a symbol of play, spontaneity and humour.
The tongue, an essential muscle for taste, speech and expression, is also a non-verbal communication tool laden with cultural meaning. From ritual gestures to contemporary selfies, this simple movement reminds us that laughing at ourselves is a healthy form of everyday resistance.
This day proposes taking life with less solemnity. Because, even in a world marked by identity debates and collective challenges, making an absurd gesture can be an honest way of reconnecting with what is human.