UN Chinese Language Day 2020: Date, History, and Significance of the day

The UN Chinese Language Day is observed annually on April 20. This event is praised every year by the UNESCO. It was first seen in 2010 by the association to praise multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equivalent use of each of the six of its official working languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) through the association. The first UN Chinese Language Day was held on November 12, 2010. In 2011, the date was moved to April 20.

UN Chinese Language Day History

The UN Chinese Language Day is praised on April 20 to honor Cang Jie, a legendary figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters around 5000 years ago. The date of April 20 about relates to Guyu is the Chinese calendar. Chinese individuals observe Guyu pay tribute to Cangjie because when Cangjie invented Chinese characters, the deities and ghosts cried and it rained millet. The word ‘Guyu’ truly signifies ‘rain of millet’. Traditionally, it is believed that the indigenous speech of the Han larger part in China, Chinese, forms one of the branches of the Sino-Tibetan language family and is currently spoken by numerous Chinese ethnic groups. Varieties of Chinese are generally seen by native speakers as languages of a single Chinese language.

Why April 20?

The date for the Chinese day was selected from Guyu (“Rain of Millet”), which is the sixth of 24 solar terms in the traditional East Asian calendars, to pay tribute to Cangjie. Cangjie is a significant figure in antiquated China, claimed to be an official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters. Legend has it that he had four eyes and four pupils and that when he created the characters, the divinities and ghosts cried and the sky rained millet. From that point on, Chinese individuals celebrate the day Guyu to pay tribute to Cangjie. In the Gregorian calendar, it ordinarily starts around April 20.

Chinese at the UN

Chinese was set up as an official language of the United Nations in 1946. Be that as it may, in the early years, the Chinese were not commonly used in the work of the United Nations. Then the situation was improved after the restoration of the legitimate rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations in 1971. After that in 1973, the General Assembly included Chinese as a working language, which was followed by the Security Council in 1974. Increasingly more UN offices and staff individuals work with the this language.

UN Chinese Language Day celebration

The UN and its subsidiary associations hold events that feature the excellence and rich cultural history of the Chinese language on the day. Also, workshops and seminars feature prominent Chinese authors, poets, and calligraphers. Additionally, concerts highlighting Chinese music, martial arts performances, and calligraphy presentations have held the world over. The day isn’t an official holiday and organizations, schools and government offices are open on this day.