November 16th - Day of the Icelandic Language
Since 1996, every year on November 16th the "Dagur íslenskrar tungu" is celebrated, the "Day of the Icelandic Language".
Goal of this special day is to remind people of the relevance of the Icelandic language, to take pleasure in their past and future history, and to celebrate it. Events take place in many locations, there are readings and discussion sessions.
Literature award: Verðlaun Jónasar Hallgrímssonar
Annually on this day, also the Jónas Hallgrímsson Prize is awarded, a literary award, with which special services for the Icelandic language are honored, in word and writing, in poetry, in scholarly work or teaching, or for the promotion and dissemination of the language. Previous winners are, among others, the former Icelandic president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who was an ambassador for languages at the United Nations, the poet and writer Steinunn Sigurðardóttir, Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson, a retired professor of Icelandic linguistics, or the Icelandic crime author Arnaldur Indridason.
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| Logo for the Day of the Icelandic Language 2024, designed by Auður Ýr Elísabetardóttir |
The "Day of the Icelandic Language" goes back to an initiative of the Icelandic Minister of Education from autumn 1995. The government decided to use November 16th for this purpose.
November 16th is the birthday of Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807 - 1845).
Jónas Hallgrímsson was one of the most important poets of Iceland. He was a naturalist and poet, writer and translator, as well as one of the founders of "Fjölnir", a nationally oriented magazine for Icelandic literature and language.
In addition, Jónas Hallgrímsson created more than 200 neologisms, i.e., he developed new Icelandic words, especially in the field of natural sciences - e.g. aðdráttarafl (attractive force), tunglmyrkvi (lunar eclipse) or rafmagn (electricity).
Flag day
Since 2008, November 16th is also one of the 12 Icelandic flag days. On these special days, the Icelandic flags on all public buildings in Iceland are hoisted up, from 7 a.m. until sunset, but at the latest until midnight (in summer).
Translated from here.