Why We Celebrate International Mother Language Day

Every year on 21 February, the world pauses to honour something deeply personal yet universally powerful, our mother language. International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999, is more than a symbolic date on the calendar. It is a global reminder that language is identity, culture, memory and belonging.

The origins of this day trace back to 1952 in Dhaka, when students advocating for recognition of the Bengali language were killed during protests. Their sacrifice became a defining moment in the language movement of what is now Bangladesh. Decades later, UNESCO recognised the significance of that struggle, declaring 21 February as a day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity worldwide.

Why does this matter to us in the Hills District and across multicultural Sydney? Because language is the thread that connects generations. It carries lullabies whispered by mothers, stories told by grandparents, and traditions passed from one community to the next. In Australia, one of the most linguistically diverse nations on earth, more than 300 languages are spoken in homes across the country. Each one is a treasure chest of history and worldview.

Yet globally, languages are disappearing at an alarming rate. When a language dies, we lose more than words, we lose unique ways of thinking, understanding nature, and expressing human emotion.

International Mother Language Day reminds us to cherish our heritage languages while embracing English as the bridge that unites us. It encourages schools, families and communities to nurture bilingualism and multilingualism as strengths, not barriers.

In celebrating this day, we celebrate who we are, proudly rooted in our past, confidently connected in our present, and richly diverse in our shared Australian future.