Literature and books have always been powerful tools to share ideas and learn about other people, cultures, and eras. Thanks to writing, we humans have evolved. On April 23, we celebrate a day to pay homage to the best invention we have made: books! We are book lovers at Freepik, and we know that you are one, too! Keep reading to learn more about t...
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Open book
This collection of open book photos are a valuable resource for aspiring designers. Embrace the look, feel, and texture books offer while praising the knowledge they provide us. Perhaps you could use such photos to mock up your design ideas.
Kids reading
Check out this engaging collection of kids-reading images embodying the imagination and curiosity of youngsters growing up and having fun. These images could be a great addition to your preschool editorial designs, providing a professional angle to your projects.
Library
Libraries are the temples of human knowledge. You’ll find the most important works of thinkers, writers, and researchers there. Download some high-quality photographs of libraries, enjoy the smell of old books, and celebrate World Book Day!
Magazine
These elegant images of magazines will be handy for your World Book Day projects, designs, and campaigns. You can give them your own touch by modifying the resources and inserting anything you need.
World Book Day poster
Are you a teacher looking for some World Book Day ideas for your school? Have a look at our posters on World Book Day! They are great to teach the history of the book and important writers’ biographies by means of visual aids. There are many designs to meet your needs.
World Book Day banner
Do you need some ideas to promote your bookstore during World Book Day? No problem, we have what you need! We offer plenty of banners with myriad illustrations, pictures, cool designs… And even World Book Day logos!
World Book Day background
Backgrounds are great to create wallpapers, flyers, to support your own projects and ideas. Download some decorative wallpapers and get creative during the World Book Day! You will find the perfect resource for you!
World Book Day illustration
Is there anything more beautiful than an exquisite illustration of a codex? Download some of our illustrations and cliparts to design World Book Day activities, to advertise your products, services or to encourage reading among your students.
Symbols
Books
Roses
Saint George
The most important symbol during this day, of course, is a pile of books. But why is this item so important? We developed as a society when writing systems were invented. It was the perfect way to record and spread information, helping us to achieve goals as a community. Books make us dream and think, but they also teach us, and we can learn a lot from them. Isn’t that a precious gift? Many books and manuscripts have marked and shaped our traditions: the Bible, Don Quixote, Beowulf, The Art of War, A Midsummer Night’s Dream… So, when celebrating World Book Day, we really need beautiful illustrations and pictures of books!
Sant Jordi (St. George’s Day) is a very special celebration in Catalonia, a region of Spain. The tradition is to give books and roses not only to your partner but also to family and friends. This practice is very much related to the legend of St. George. A fierce dragon wanted to kidnap and devour a princess. St. George managed to kill the horrid monster. Then, a miracle took place: the blood of the dragon transformed into red roses. The red roses that people give during Sant Jordi are not only a token of love but also symbolize St. George's victory of St. George over the frightful dragon.
Did you know that Saint George is the patron Saint of reading? His death date is April 23rd, 303 A.D., the same day that we celebrate World Book Day. St. George was a Roman army soldier. He was tortured and beheaded because he was Christian, so he became a martyr. The main legend about St. George has to do with a dragon. The mythical creature wanted to devour a princess, so St. George helped the damsel in distress and the rest of her village by killing the dragon. He became a hero, patron of military affairs, and an important basis for the development of heroic romance as a literary genre. Saint George is also connected to England as he is its patron Saint. People worshiped him there even before the Norman Conquest in 1066! Apart from that, very important authors such as Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare included the Saint in their works, gaining the saint more and more popularity. So, it’s not unusual to have representations of Saint George with the flag of England.
Coffee and books go together. There is nothing better than reading a good novel while you drink a cup of black coffee. It tastes like heaven! There is no doubt that coffee is one of the hues of World Book Day. Did you know that the first time the word coffee was used as a color name was at the end of the 17th century? Color coffee provides you with a feeling of comfort, warmth, and safety. This is the perfect match for your reading sessions. It’s also the tint of reliability, resilience, and dependability. According to feng shui, this shade is connected to wood, which means that it helps harmonize homes and any other environment.
As Jane Austen would say, it is a truth universally acknowledged that books and manuscripts have played a pivotal role in the history of humanity. It’s not strange that, over the years, people wanted to celebrate their importance! Today, we are going to explore the most remarkable history of World Book Day and the different ways of celebrating literature throughout the years. In addition, you’ll also learn about the regional particularities of this commemoration and some important symbols that are key if you want to understand more about this important day. Let’s learn about books and authors!
The Spanish precursor of the World Book Day
The very first time that Book Day was celebrated has to do very much with Spain and a famous Spanish writer. More precisely, it was Vicente Clavel Andrés’ idea, a dream that came true in 1926. Vicente wasn’t only a writer but a translator, editor, and periodist, too. During this first Book Day, they did homage to Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote. Apart from that, the celebration aimed to promote cultural diffusion, reading, and easy and free access to books and knowledge as well. Vicente Clavel created an event that brought together authors, editors, printers, librarians, and readers. Isn’t this a huge achievement?
A celebration organized and promoted by UNESCO
World Book Day (and Copyright Day) is celebrated annually on April 23. This date is a very special one, as it’s the day when very important authors from different countries died: William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The target of this day is to reflect the importance of books, reading, culture, and knowledge for human beings. The first time that this event took place was in Paris in 1995. From this moment onward, there is a new World Book Day capital every year, and they launch different initiatives, such as giving books to students in impoverished areas.
The promotion of reading, writing, and publishing in Albion and surrounding islands
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, they decided to move the date a little bit to avoid clashes with St. George’s Day and school holidays. The aim of this event is very similar to UNESCO’s World Book Day: to promote reading, writing, publishing, and knowledge. Initially, the government gave vouchers to children so they could buy more books. Step by step, they added more initiatives, and it became a registered charity. It also supports Book Aid International and Readathon.
Night activities for book lovers in the United Kingdom and Ireland!
The World Book Night was created to encourage people to read, as the World Book Day does, as well as to promote culture and knowledge. Although it was first held on March 5, 2011, the date changed to April 23, which aligns with World Book Day. This very special night is organized by The Reading Agency. It was conceived for adults: there are table discussions and many other activities under the moonlight. Isn’t it a very interesting event? If you ever happen to be in the United Kingdom or Ireland on this day, get your reading glasses and your books ready!
There are many different ways of celebrating World Book Day. We have prepared a list of the most peculiar ones so you can learn about how other cultures commemorate this festivity. Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America, Sweden, and India. Time to travel through books and learn about those countries!
Celebrating the World Book Day in the United States of America. As in many other countries, people in the United States celebrate this special date on April 23. They organize activities to encourage kids and adults to read. Still, the town of Kensington, in Maryland, is notable for a very special tradition: a street festival! Listen to live music and enjoy some great activities for children and adults. And much more! For example, if you want to discover new authors, bookcrossing is just for you! There are also chess competitions, face painting, storytelling… Everything has been designed to stimulate your creativity. They are also famous for their poetry readings. In addition, you’ll find plenty of writers, children’s authors, mystery writers’ groups, poets, artists in general, publishers, reading groups, and a ton of booksellers.
Red roses, books, and Sant Jordi: Celebrating World Book Day in Spain. The World Book Day celebration is very much connected with Sant Jordi (St. George’s Day) in Spain. But let’s learn about the history of this tradition first! Since 1926, Book Day was celebrated on October 7 to honor Miguel de Cervantes’ birth. However, the Spanish king changed the date to April 23, coinciding with Cervantes’ death. In Catalonia, a Spanish region, people celebrate Sant Jordi. Citizens give books and red roses as gifts during this day: books because it’s the day of the book and red roses because of the legend of Saint George. You can discover more about the roses and this Saint if you continue reading! There is a dragon involved, too! Different Spanish cities organize pastimes, such as reading groups, reading parts of Don Quixote, book fairs, book signings…
World Book Day in Ireland and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, people celebrate this important day on another date, more precisely on the first Thursday of March. They do so to avoid clashes with other festivities, such as Saint George’s Day or the Easter break. A charity now organizes this event to promote reading, writing, and publishing and provide affordable books for children and adults in need. At first, the government distributed some vouchers so kids could buy books at reduced prices. This social action added new projects, and they tried to reach even more people. One lovely way of getting the most out of World Book Day in the United Kingdom is to pay a visit to the iconic Globe Theater and enjoy some of Shakespeare’s plays!
Världsbokdagen, the World Book Day in Sweden! World Book Day is known as Världsbokdagen in Sweden. Did you know that word? As in many other parts of the globe, Swedish people prepare some educational activities related to books and literature. For example, there are entertainments like book signings, dressing up as book characters, reading groups, poetry readings, and more. Which one would you choose? If you are thinking about visiting Sweden soon, plan your visit ahead to enjoy some of the World Book Day or Världsbokdagen activities during the month of April! In addition, you could also go out and try to see the Northern Lights (Swedish Lapland is the perfect place to do so.) Mix nature, culture, books, and knowledge in just one day! Doesn’t this plan sound very tempting to you? Get into the wilderness with your favorite book!
Celebrating World Book Day in India. Namaste! As one would expect, citizens celebrate World Book Day in India too! This festivity is also used to encourage people to read more, write, publish, buy, and hand out books. So they share the same interests and goals as the other countries we have discussed. They add a spiritual touch to the day. One of the most important volumes from India is “Way of Living” by Saint Rampal JI Maharaj. It has had a great influence on readers and social media. Apart from giving books as gifts, people also donate them to the impoverished and orphanages. In any case, you’ll also find activities related to literature and books in general: readings on the street, book stands, poetry readings, reading groups… Everything you can imagine!
