Galician Literature Day ( gl, Día das Letras Galegas) is a public holiday observed in Galicia,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is a celebration of the Galician language and its

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

which was inaugurated by the

Royal Galician Academy The Royal Galician Academy ( gl, Real Academia Galega, RAG) is an institution dedicated to the study of Galician culture and especially the Galician language; it promulgates norms of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary and works to promote the l ...

(''Real Academia Galega'') in 1963. This celebration has taken place on

May 17 Events Pre-1600 *1395 – Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army. *1521 – Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason. * 1527 – Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Flo ...

each year since 1963. In the year 1991 Galician Literature Day was declared 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 María Rosalía Rita de Castro (; 23 February 1837 – 15 July 1885), was a Galician poet and novelist, considered one of the most important figures of the 19th-century Spanish literature and modern lyricism. Widely regarded as the greatest Galic ...

(1837–1885), who later became one of the most important

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

s 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. Only writers who have been dead for at least ten years are eligible, and the choice is made by the Royal Galician Academy. There is only one precedent of a "shared" Day: in 1998, the day was dedicated to

Martín Codax Martin Codax or Codaz, Martín Codax () or Martim Codax () was a Galician medieval ''joglar'' (non-noble composer and performer, as opposed to a ''trobador''), possibly from Vigo, Galicia in present-day Spain. He may have been active during th ...

Xohán de Cangas Johan de Cangas (or ''Xohan de Cangas'' in an anachronistically modernized Galician form) was a ''jograr'' or non-noble troubadour, probably active during the thirteenth century. He seems to have been from—or associated with – Cangas do Morrazo, ...

and

Mendinho Mendinho, also ''Meendinho'', ''Mendiño'' and ''Meendiño'', was a medieval Iberian poet. Nothing is known about Mendinho except by inference. Scholars generally assume from the reference to the shrine of ''San Simión'' (in the modern Isle of ...

, together with the authors of the medieval songs (

cantiga A ''cantiga'' (''cantica'', ''cantar'') is a medieval monophonic song, characteristic of the Galician-Portuguese lyric. Over 400 extant ''cantigas'' come from the ''Cantigas de Santa Maria'', narrative songs about miracles or hymns in praise of th ...

s).

List of authors honoured on Galician Literature Day

These are the authors who have been honored on Galician Literature Day:

References

External links

Real Academia Galega
{{authority control May observances Language observances Galician culture Annual events in Galicia (Spain) Public holidays in Spain