National Book Day is celebrated in October 29th and celebrates the importance of reading and, consequently, of books in the lives of human beings.
Books have the function of transmitting knowledge, enriching people culturally, having fun, relaxing and, among other things, being a good company.
Origin of National Book Day
The creation of the National Book Day refers to the foundation date of the National Library of Rio de Janeiro. It was founded on October 29, 1810 by the Portuguese Crown.
At the time, a large collection of the Royal Portuguese Library was brought to the site. The first book published in Brazil was the work of Tomás Antônio Gonzaga Marília de Dirceu, in 1808.
Today, the National Library of Rio de Janeiro is the largest in Latin America and among the ten largest in the world.
Activities for National Book Day
Several libraries, bookstores and schools hold events to celebrate this day. In schools, we can highlight:
- the reading of books by students;
- theatrical presentations;
- trips to the municipal libraries.
The important thing is to awaken in students the pleasure of reading and also to reinforce the importance of the book as a dissemination of knowledge. It is interesting for the teacher to talk about the origin and history of the book.
Libraries and bookstores usually hold events with some writers and dramatic presentations of some works of national and world literature.
Many bookstores have discounts on that day in order to disseminate and encourage the practice of reading.
book story
The book, as we know it today, has undergone several transformations.
Since the beginning of the alphabet, ancient peoples wrote on stones or clay tablets. The technique was innovated and the papyrus appeared around 3,000 years before Christ, in Ancient Egypt.
After papyrus, came the scrolls, which had more resistance, which facilitated access to the texts.
In the Middle Ages, copyist monks were people destined to copy works, generally of a religious character.
It is worth noting that, at that time, few people had access to books and knowledge. Only churchmen or nobles could access these goods, considered by many to be objects of salvation.
In the 15th century, the German inventor and graphic artist Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468) revolutionized the history of the book.
By introducing the technique of the mobile (typographic) press, which had already been discovered in China before, Gutemberg allowed the reproduction of copies and the popularization of the book.
It is clear to realize that civilizations have always had the intention of keeping knowledge and passing it on from generation to generation.
Thus, from the 20th century onwards, we have seen other supports for books such as audiobooks, e-books, etc.
Other dates that celebrate the books
O National Children's Book Day is celebrated in Brazil on a specific date, in April 18th, because on this day the children's story writer Monteiro Lobato was born.
O World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated in April 23. The date was established by Unesco in 1995, and recalls the date of the death of three great writers: Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
See too:
- 25 books to read and keep your mind on
- Parchment
