March 21 — World Poetry Day: history and traditions, how to congratulate

In the first month of spring, World Poetry Day is celebrated all over the world. The holiday is designed to support young poets, increase interest in reading and bring people from different continents closer together. Every year, the celebration takes place on a fixed date — March 21st. Izvestia tells how Poetry Day is celebrated in Russia and the world, under what motto it will be held in 2025, who and how to congratulate on this day.

World Poetry Day on March 21 — the history of the holiday

World Poetry Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 to highlight the role of poetry in cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. Another of its goals is to promote the preservation and development of rare and endangered languages.

But before it became a worldwide holiday, it was celebrated at the national level for a long time. It was originally celebrated in the late 1930s on the initiative of the American poet Tessa Sweezy Webb. The celebrations took place on October 15, the birthday of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. By 1951, Poetry Day had become National Poetry Day in the United States. It was recognized in 38 states and neighboring Mexico, and subsequently in other countries.

The issue of the world status of Poetry Day was later considered at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris. At the same time, his new date was determined — March 21.

The organization's website notes that throughout history poetry has been and remains an integral part of society, acting as an important catalyst for dialogue and peace. Poetry also stimulates sensitivity to an incredible variety of languages and cultures, bringing people closer to the rest of the world. The international holiday, approved 26 years ago, follows the same objectives.

In addition, World Poetry Day is a great opportunity to remember the world's poetic heritage, the great classics of world literature and inspire people from different countries to read, write or teach poetry.

The theme of World Poetry Day in 2025

Every year, the celebration is dedicated to a relevant topic. In 2025, World Poetry Day will be held under the motto "Poetry as a bridge to peace and inclusivity." In this way, the organizers want to emphasize the transformative role of poetry in promoting peace, creativity, and inclusivity.

Last year, the celebrations were held under the theme "Standing on the shoulders of giants." The focus was on the artistic legacy of the poets of the past. The contribution of modern poets to the development of world literature was also noted.

The themes of previous years are "Always be a Poet" (2023) and "Poetry Translation" (2022). They drew attention to the need for creative freedom and the importance of accurate translation of poetic works in order to preserve linguistic diversity and spread global perspectives.

How to celebrate World Poetry Day in Russia and the world

Every year, many cultural and educational events are timed to coincide with World Poetry Day. They include seminars, round tables, meetings with famous poets, presentations of new collections and authors to present all the diversity of Russian and world poetry.

Libraries, museums, theaters, and other cultural venues host poetry writing workshops, open poetry microphones, and poetry slams - competitive poetry readings in front of a live audience and a jury. Poetry lovers can present their poems to the public, meet like-minded people and get feedback.

Many events take place in Moscow and other Russian cities. By the way, the first World Poetry Day was held in the capital on March 21, 2000 at the Taganka Theater. It was initiated by the poetic community, created by poet and philosopher Konstantin Kedrov. Gradually, the program expanded and expanded into a whole month of various events.

The main events in Russia, timed to coincide with the international date, are the awarding of the Poet of the Year and Writer of the Year awards. They were established by the Russian Writers' Union to support bright and talented authors who will give a new impetus to the development of Russian literature.

Who and how to congratulate on Poetry Day on March 21st

Poets, poetesses, literary staff, editors of publishing houses and all poetry lovers who are not indifferent to artistic style are congratulated on Poetry Day.

Traditional gifts for Poetry Day include a pen and inkwell, poetry collections, dictionaries of the Russian language, notebooks, antique writing materials, subscriptions to literary magazines or webinars about writing. Souvenirs that are useful in everyday life can also be useful. For example, an orthopedic seat cushion or a portable lamp.

The easiest way to remember the celebration is to send a greeting card in messengers or social networks, accompanied by warm wishes. You can wish for creative inspiration, unusual plots, brilliant ideas and a large number of fans.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions of World Writer's Day, which was celebrated in early March.