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23 April: what is celebrated today
23 April has something of a cultural hinge: a date on which words are celebrated twice over, as art and as a tool. Today the calendar brings together reading and copyright with the pulse of languages travelling around the world, and with the promise — still under construction — of more inclusive technology. Everything revolves around the same idea: the human voice matters when it can circulate, be heard and also be protected.
World Book and Copyright Day
Since 1995, UNESCO has established 23 April as a bright reminder: reading is not just a habit; it is a form of cultural citizenship. Around this date — laden with literary resonances — the book appears as that everyday object capable of opening worlds, building bridges between eras and offering words when they are lacking.
But the celebration does not remain in the romantic nostalgia of libraries. The day also speaks of copyright: of recognition for those who create, research, translate, edit and illustrate. Defending intellectual property is not putting a lock on culture, but upholding a pact: that ideas can circulate without erasing the name and work of those who made them possible.
International Girls in ICT Day
The fourth Thursday in April — which in 2026 falls on the 23rd — is devoted to an urgent question: who designs the digital future? Since 2011, this day promoted by the International Telecommunication Union has sought to make the gender gap in technology visible and, above all, to open doors so that more girls can approach ICT free of prejudice and barriers.
It is not merely about “equity” as a slogan. It is about talent, the economy, justice and perspective: when women are absent from technological development, the world becomes narrower. Celebrating this day means backing role models, training and confidence; a generation that not only uses digital tools, but also creates them.
Spanish Language Day
In 2010, the UN introduced days dedicated to its official languages in order to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity. In the case of Spanish, 23 April converses with literary memory: the date is associated with the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, an author who helped establish a shared imaginary on both sides of the ocean.
Spanish is not just a language: it is a constellation of accents, rhythms and words reinvented in every region. Celebrating it means recognising its vitality and its capacity to name what is new, discuss what is shared, and make journalism, science, humour and poetry with equal naturalness.
English Language Day
On that same 23 April, the UN also devotes a space to the English language, traditionally associated with the birth and death of William Shakespeare. It is a date that works as a symbol: English, having become a global bridge, has been a vehicle for cultural, diplomatic and scientific exchange, with a force that is hard to ignore.
Celebrating it, however, does not mean crowning it as the sole “universal” language, but remembering it as part of a broader linguistic ecosystem. Multilingualism is not a competition between languages: it is a form of coexistence. And in an interconnected world, understanding that is almost a cultural survival skill.