The Día das Letras Galegas (Galician for "Galician Literature Day") is a holiday in Galicia, a region of Spain. This holiday has taken place on May 17 since 1963. Galician (Galego) is a language variety of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia (in the Galician language, Galicia, that is recommended, or Galiza), an autonomous community with the constitutional status of historic nationality and located in northwestern Spain, and in areas in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias... Motto: Capital Santiago de Compostela Official languages Galician and Castilian Area  – Total  – % of Spain Ranked 7th  29 574 km²  5,8% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 5th  2 737 370  6,5%  92,36/km² Demonym  – English  – Galician  – Spanish  – Portuguese  Galician  galego  gallego  galego Statute of Autonomy April... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The first holiday took place on 1963 to commemorate the centenary of Cantares Galegos, the first work written in the Galician language by Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), who later became one of the most important poets in the history of Galicia. Cantares Galegos was thus first published on May 17, 1863. Rosalía de Castro Rosalía de Castro (24 February 1837 – 15 July 1885) was a Spanish writer and poet. ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Poets are authors of poems, or of other forms of poetry such as dramatic verse. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Since 1963, each Day of the Galician Letters has been dedicated to a different writer in the Galician language. This writer must be dead, and is chosen by the Real Academia Galega (Royal Galician Academy). There is only one precedent of a "shared" Day: in 1998, it was dedicated to Martín Códax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho, authors of cantigas during the Middle Ages. 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Some Galician institutions use the Day of the Galician Letters to promote the use and knowledge of Galician, which is not very widespread among the younger and more urban parts of the population.

In 2004, there was a combined celebration with different pro-linguistic activities running from the Day of the Galician Letters (May 17) until the Day of Camões and of the Portuguese Letters (June 10), as the Galician and Portuguese languages are closely related. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ...

Previously assigned authors on Galician Literature Day

• 1963 Rosalía de Castro
• 1964 Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao
• 1965 Eduardo Pondal
• 1966 Francisco Añón Paz
• 1967 Manuel Curros Enríquez
• 1968 Florentino López Cuevillas
• 1969 Antonio Noriega Varela
• 1970 Marcial Valladares Núñez
• 1971 Gonzalo López Abrente
• 1972 Valentín Lamas Carvajal
• 1973 Manuel Lago González
• 1974 Xoán V. Viqueira Cortón
• 1975 Xoán Manuel Pintos Villar
• 1976 Ramón Cabanillas
• 1977 Antón Vilar Ponte
• 1978 Antonio López Ferreiro
• 1979 Manuel Antonio
• 1980 King Alfonso X O Sabio (The Learned) of Castile
• 1981 Vicente Risco
• 1982 Luis Amado Carballo
• 1983 Manuel Leiras Pulpeiro
• 1984 Armando Cotarelo Valledor
• 1985 Antón Losada Diéguez
• 1986 Aquilino Iglesia Alvariño
• 1987 Francisca H. Garrido
• 1988 Ramón Otero Pedrayo
• 1989 Celso Emilio Ferreiro
• 1990 Luis Pimentel
• 1991 Álvaro Cunqueiro
• 1992 Fermín Bouza-Brey
• 1993 Eduardo Blanco Amor
• 1994 Luís Seoane
• 1995 Rafael Dieste
• 1996 Xesús Ferro Couselo
• 1997 Ánxel Fole
• 1998 Martín Códax, Xohán de Cangas and Mendinho
• 1999 Roberto Blanco Torres
• 2000 Manuel Murguía
• 2001 Eladio Rodríguez
• 2002 Frei Martín Sarmiento
• 2003 Antón Avilés de Taramancos
• 2004 Xaquín Lorenzo Fernández
• 2005 Lorenzo Varela