The "World Greek Language Day" has been celebrated every year on February 9^th, as of 2017.

Why February 9^th? Because on 9 February, 1857, Greece’s national poet, Dionysios Solomos, passed away. Dionysios Solomos wrote the poem "Hymn to Freedom", the first verses of which constitute the National Anthem of Greece.

Today, the Greek language is the official language of Greece and Cyprus, as well as one of the 23 official languages of the European Union. It has been, of course, throughout the ages, a means of international communication for many countries and one of the most historic and resilient languages in the world. During the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods, Greek was the language of education, culture, and trade in the Balkans and the wider region. The contribution of the Greek language to the initial European literature, philosophy, the first natural and human sciences and medicine is indisputable.

From 2017 onwards, academic departments around the world that teach the Greek language, as well as public and private educational institutions in foreign countries, celebrate the World Greek Language Day with events and features, which highlight the universality of the Greek language and its contribution to the linguistic and cultural enrichment of the European and many other languages around the world.

In this context, the Embassy of Greece in Bulgaria, has created again, this year, an anniversary video, in which students of all ages, who are taught the Greek language, both Bulgarians and Greeks in Bulgaria, participate. It will be interesting to watch here!

At the same time, in the context of the continued support for those who love and learn the Greek language, the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, has created the online platform www.staEllinika.com (meaning "in Greek") which works as a free on line tool for those who love Greece and the Greek language, helping them to learn the Greek language and mythology in an interactive and handy way.

Article by H.E. the Ambassador of Greece in Bulgaria, Mr. Alexios Marios Lyberopoulos