International Translation Day
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
About
International Translation Day, observed on September 30, celebrates the skilled professionals who help people communicate across languages and cultures. Translators, interpreters, and other language specialists make it easier to share ideas, access information, conduct business, and connect with communities around the world.
The observance also highlights the importance of language in building understanding and cooperation. It is an opportunity to appreciate the care, cultural knowledge, and precision involved in carrying meaning from one language to another—and to recognize how translation helps bring people closer together.
History
International Translation Day is observed annually on **September 30**. The date honors **Saint Jerome**, a fourth-century Christian scholar and translator who is traditionally credited with producing the Latin *Vulgate* Bible. Jerome’s work involved translating biblical texts from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, and his efforts made important religious writings accessible to a much wider Latin-speaking audience. Because of this legacy, he became recognized as the patron saint of translators.
The modern observance developed through the professional translation community. The **International Federation of Translators (FIT)** promoted September 30 as a day to recognize translators and interpreters, whose work helps people communicate across linguistic and cultural boundaries. For many years, professional associations and language organizations marked the occasion through conferences, lectures, publications, and public campaigns highlighting the intellectual and practical demands of translation.
International Translation Day gained formal recognition from the United Nations when the General Assembly adopted a resolution in **2017** proclaiming September 30 as the observance. The first official United Nations observance took place in **2018**. This recognition reflected the growing importance of translation and interpreting in international diplomacy, law, education, humanitarian assistance, commerce, science, and the work of the United Nations itself. It also emphasized the contribution of language professionals to cooperation among nations and to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Over time, the day has come to celebrate more than the conversion of words from one language into another. It acknowledges the cultural knowledge, historical awareness, technical skill, and judgment required to preserve meaning across languages. It also draws attention to interpreters working in conferences, courts, hospitals, and crisis settings, as well as to literary translators who introduce readers to stories and ideas from other cultures. In this way, **September 30** serves both as a professional tribute and as a reminder that translation supports mutual understanding in an increasingly interconnected world. ([National Today](https://nationaltoday.com/international-translation-day-2/); [National Today](https://nationaltoday.com/international-translation-day/))