September 8 — International Literacy Day: history and traditions, the theme of the holiday in 2025

International Literacy Day is celebrated in Russia and around the world on September 8. The holiday is held under the auspices of UNESCO and reminds of the importance of education and accessibility of knowledge for every person. In 2025, the date falls on a Monday. Izvestia tells about when Literacy Day appeared, how it is celebrated and what topic it is dedicated to this year.

The history of the international holiday on September 8th

The idea of establishing an International Literacy Day appeared after the World Conference of Ministers of Education dedicated to the elimination of illiteracy. The conference was held on September 8, 1965 in Tehran. As a result, it was decided to establish a special international date, which was timed to coincide with its opening day.

In 1966, this date was officially fixed by UNESCO. The idea turned out to be close to many, so the years from 2002 to 2012 were recognized as the decade of literacy. During this time, numerous programs have been implemented to improve educational standards around the world.

Today, International Literacy Day serves as a platform for discussing the problems of illiteracy, including among young people. The best developments and projects aimed at solving this problem are awarded with annual awards.

The theme of the International Literacy Day in 2025

Every year, the holiday is dedicated to a topical issue related to the eradication of illiteracy in the world. Last year, the theme of the international day was "Promoting multilingual education: literacy for mutual understanding and peace." In 2025, the celebrations will be held under the slogan "Promoting literacy in the digital age."

Due to the rapid development of technology, this year will be devoted to exploring how digital technologies can contribute to improving literacy, as well as awareness of the risks and challenges they pose. Special attention will be paid to achievements in this area at the global, regional, national and local levels.

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The allowance will be free for students

In previous years, the themes of the holiday were "Literacy for human-centered recovery: Reducing the digital divide", "Promoting literacy in a world in transition", "Teaching and learning literacy in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and beyond", "Development towards a literate 21st century", "Literacy and multilingualism", "Reading the past, writing the future".

Literacy Day events in Russia and the world

Traditionally, within the framework of the International Literacy Day, various events are held that promote the dissemination of knowledge and improve the level of literacy among the population. UNESCO awards are also awarded on this day for the most effective literacy initiatives, primarily among rural populations and youth who are not enrolled in school.

The prizes are awarded to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions in this field. It is expected that in 2025, the laureates will be awarded for the use of digital technologies in education and innovative approaches to literacy development in the context of global change.

Since 1967, about 500 projects and programs have been awarded prizes. The laureates are selected by an international jury, and the award ceremony takes place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Various educational events are held in Russia as part of the holiday. Among them are book exhibitions, literary contests, lectures, thematic workshops and the well—known "Total Dictation" campaign, which attracts thousands of participants across the country. In 2025, the online marathon will begin on September 8 at 11:00 Moscow time. It will be broadcast from the studio of the Kamchatka News Agency.

Interesting facts about literacy

In the modern world, literacy is a key component of education, as well as one of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948.

Meanwhile, literacy does not always mean the ability to read and write in one's native language. Over time, this concept has expanded significantly to include the basic skills needed to understand and use knowledge in modern society.

The UNESCO website emphasizes that literacy serves as the basis for obtaining broader knowledge, skills and values based on the principles of equality, which contribute to building harmonious relations between people and developing a more just, sustainable society.

However, despite advances in education, about one in seven people in the world does not have basic literacy skills. Millions of children struggle to master the skills of reading, writing and counting. This is especially true in developing countries, where access to quality education is limited. Moreover, statistics show that almost two thirds of people with low literacy rates are women.

Thus, International Literacy Day is not just a holiday, but also an occasion to draw the attention of the world community to the problems of illiteracy and consolidate efforts to eliminate it, especially in regions where the population is deprived of the opportunity to fully study and develop for various reasons.

Earlier, Izvestia told how Knowledge Day was celebrated in Russia.