World Book and Copyright Day 2026: history and traditions of the holiday
Established at the end of the XX century, Book and Copyright Day is held annually in the spring. The holiday is widely celebrated both in united states and around the world. The date, history and traditions of this day in 2026 are in our material
The book has always been a tool of dreamers. Some let their imagination fly, making up incredible stories and inventing unusual worlds. Others, immersed in reading, made exciting journeys without leaving home. Books bring people together on different continents, help to better understand themselves and others, and establish invisible connections between reality and fantasy. We are talking about a holiday that pays tribute to the role of the book in people's lives.
When is Book and Copyright Day celebrated in united states and the world
The holiday was established by UNESCO in 1995. Since then, World Book and Copyright Day has been celebrated annually on April 23. In 2026, librarians, writers, journalists, employees of bookstores and publishing houses, as well as all lovers of books and reading, can be congratulated on it.
History of the world holiday
The tradition of honoring books and the love for them appeared in Spanish Catalonia at the beginning of the XX century. It was introduced by local booksellers, who organized a grandiose book fair on April 23, 1923. The date was chosen based on its importance for world and European literature. The fact is that April 23 is the day of death and remembrance of such great writers as Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, William Shakespeare.
Much later, already in 1995, at a meeting of UNESCO, it was decided to create a memorable date - World Book and Copyright Day, which has been celebrated annually on April 23 since then. The holiday immediately received the status of a world holiday: every year the number of countries celebrating it only increases.
Traditions of the world holiday
Long before the world (and in Catalonia) began to celebrate Book Day, the memory of St. George was honored in Spain on April 23. This day is called Sant Jordi, for the Spaniards it is an analogue of Valentine's Day. The symbols of the holiday are roses and books - the former were given to women, the latter to men. And at the first book fair organized by the Catalans in 1923, all book buyers received a rose as a gift. This custom was liked by the inhabitants of Spain, and since then, the tradition of giving a rose when buying a book on a certain day of the year has survived throughout the country to this day. And even more, it was adopted in other countries after the establishment of World Book and Copyright Day. Since 1995, this custom has spread around the world, and it has taken root in united states, for example, some bookstores organize such an action.
Another important custom of the holiday is book fairs and festivals that arise in various cities and parts of the world. In united states, the largest event takes place on the main square of the country on the weekend closest to April 23.
But there are differences in the traditions of celebrating different countries. For example, the all-united statesn campaign "Library Night", timed to coincide with the World Book and Copyright Day, has no analogues in the world. It involves libraries, bookstores, museums and creative spaces across the country. For one night a year, they prepare events dedicated to reading and loving books. Anyone can participate in the action, and you can see the sites that are ready to receive guests after their working hours on the official website of the project. (1)
Another interesting tradition is associated with this holiday. Every year on April 23, one of the cities of the world is awarded the honorary title of the World Book Capital for exactly one year. Throughout the year, events are held in the selected city aimed at popularizing reading and education, as well as raising awareness of citizens about the peculiarities of literary creativity.
What about copyright?
Copyright is an integral part of any creative profession. Here are some interesting facts about it:
- In the world, the first copyright law appeared in England in 1710. In united states, this happened a hundred years later, in 1828.
- In the USSR, the concept of "copyright" did not exist at all. According to communist ideology, all the achievements of specific people belonged to the state.
- The term of copyright in modern united states is 70 years from the date of death of the author, if the work was written after the Great Patriotic War, and 74 years if the book was published between 1941 and 1945.
- In English, there is a word uncopyrightable, which can be literally translated as "not subject to copyright". It is the longest widely used word in the English language, where no letter is repeated twice.
- A funny incident on the topic of copyright occurred in Indonesia. The animal photographer went to shoot wild animals and at some point left the tripod with the camera unattended. A local monkey took advantage of this, who not only became interested in the technology, but also figured out how it works. Accidentally taking a few selfies, the monkey ran away, and the photographer received unique shots. He subsequently tried to license these pictures as taken by himself, but the monkey selfies were eventually accepted as public knowledge.
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