International Translation Day 2025

 Copyright ® Françoise Herrmann

Today is International Translation Day. A day designed to celebrate the role of translation in “connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding and development,” per the United Nations Resolution 71/288, proclaiming September 30th, International Translation Day, on May 24th, 2017.

Historically, International Translation Day dates back to 1953, when the International Federation of Translators selected September 30th, corresponding to the celebration of the Feast of Saint Jerome, a day in the Catholic liturgical calendar of Saints. This date was selected because Saint Jerome was a multilingual scholar of the 4th century, who was canonized for having first translated the Bible, from the original Hebrew and the Greek (Septuagint) versions, into a unified Latin version. Saint Jerome's more widely accessible Latin version of the Bible is called the Vulgate. During the 16th century, the Council of Trent subsequently proclaimed Saint Jerome's Vulgate the official version of the Bible for the Catholic Church.

The theme that the International Federation of Translators has selected for the year 2025 is Translation, shaping a world you can trust. A theme that relates to the AI shift in the world, and to the role that translators can play to oversee the trustworthy use of new translation technologies.

Cheers then to all translators, interpreters and terminologists! Happy International Translators Day!

References
FIT– Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs – International Federation of Translators.
https://en.fit-ift.org/
UN International Translators Day, Sept 30^th 2025.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-translation-day 
UN Resolution 71/288 – May 24^th 2017.
https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/71/288

Happy International Translation Day 2017!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

International Translation Day (ITD) has been celebrated since 1953, on September 30^th, the day of the Feast of Saint Jerome, under the auspices of the Féderation Internationale des traducteurs (FIT). Using the Catholic Church’s Calendar of Saints, Saint Jerome was selected patron Saint of Translators, as he is purported to have delivered the first complete Latin translation of the Bible, commissioned by Pope Damasus I. Saint Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible, from Greek, became officially known as the Vulgate. It was translated and compiled at the end of the Fourth century AD.

However, this year is special, because earlier during the year, on May 24, 2017, during the 82nd Meeting of the 71st Session of the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted UN resolution 71/288, which deeply recognizes:

"the practical contribution of language professionals, both in conference servicing and in the field, to furthering the cause of the United Nations, including in the maintenance of peace and security, peacekeeping, the promotion of human rights and operational activities for sustainable development,"

and decided on September 30th as International Translation Day, with an invitation to :

"all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe International Translation Day, in an appropriate manner and in accordance with national priorities, in order to raise awareness of the importance of professional translation, and stresses that the cost of such activities should be met from voluntary;"

FIT always celebrates International Translation Day (ITD) with a theme. Consonant with the preamble of UN Resolution 71/288, which recognizes that the strength of the world stems from its diversity, the theme selected by FIT, for ITD 2017, is Diversity.

Woohoo! September 30, 2017  is a day of many celebrations!

References

FIT - Féderation Internationale de Traducteurs

http://www.fit-ift.org/

FIT - ITD 2017 Translation and Diversity

http://www.fit-ift.org/translation-and-diversity_itd_2017/

International Translation Day  

http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/71/288

Nominis (Calendar of Saints)

http://nominis.cef.fr/
The British Library - Vulgate Gospels
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/vulgategosp.html
Wikipedia - Pope Damsus I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Damasus_I