Zamenhof Day

What Is Zamenhof Day?

December 15th is "Zamenhof Day," marking the 1859 birthday of Ludwik Zamenhof, the Polish-born ophthalmologist who devised the international language Esperanto. Esperanto speakers around the world hold gatherings known as Zamenhofa Festo, and it is the most widely observed date in the Esperanto calendar.

A Common Tongue Designed by an Eye Doctor

Zamenhof published Esperanto in 1887, at the age of 27. Having grown up where differences of mother tongue bred conflict, he set out to build a neutral common language that would be no one's native language.

• Origin of the date: Zamenhof's birthday, December 15, 1859
• Creator: Ludwik Zamenhof, a Polish-born ophthalmologist
• Year published: 1887, when he was 27
• The name: "Esperanto" derives from a word meaning "one who hopes"
• Observance: Zamenhofa Festo celebrations are held worldwide

Japan Has a Separate Esperanto Day

In Japan, June 12th is observed as Esperanto Day. Where December 15th is an international day honoring the language's creator on his birthday, the June date is a domestic Japanese anniversary.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Learn the Esperanto greeting "Saluton"
• Look up other constructed languages and how they came about
• Pick one foreign language you would like to try and open a beginner's book
• Recall what actually helped when working with people who speak another first language

An Attempt to Take Down the Language Barrier

Esperanto never became the world's common language, yet more than a century on it still has speakers. December 15th is a day to look at the idea itself -- the attempt to get past the wall between languages.