World Day of Romani Language Date in the current year: November 5, 2024

Romani is the language of the Romani people, which has roots in Sanskrit and thus belongs to the Indo-Aryan family of languages. It is the only New Indo-Aryan language spoken exclusively outside the Indian subcontinent.

Romani is classified as a macrolanguage, meaning that it comprises a group of mostly mutually intelligible but distinct varieties, similar to Arabic, Chinese, or Farsi. There are more than a dozen Romani dialects (the exact number depends on the classification used); the most widely spoken are Vlax Romani, Balkan Romani, and Sinte Romani. The large number of Romani dialects is explained by the nomadic lifestyle of the Romani people.

There are approximately 4.6 million Romani speakers in the world, most of whom live in Europe. The UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger lists Romani as an endangered language in the vulnerable category, which means that most Romani children speak the language, but its use is restricted to certain domains, such as home. Most Romani speakers are bilingual and use the dominant language of their country of residence outside their community.

It should be noted that Romani is more difficult to preserve than many other vulnerable languages because the Roma do not have their own state, so national governments of countries with significant Romani populations should take steps to ensure the preservation of Romani by recognizing it as an official minority language, supporting Romani cultural organizations, including it in school curricula, etc.

The history of World Day of Romani Language can be traced back to the presentation of the first Romani-Croatian and Croatian-Romani dictionary, which took place in the Croatian capital of Zagreb on November 5, 2008. At the presentation, representatives of the Romani community and Croatian officials signed a charter declaring November 5 as the Day of Romani Language in Croatia.

A year later, Croatia hosted the first International Symposium on Romani Language, and the Croatian Day of Romani Language was transformed into World Day of Romani Language, to be celebrated annually in all countries where the Roma live. In 2015, at the request of Croatia, World Day of Romani Language was officially recognized by UNESCO.

Since 2009, the International Symposium on Romani Language has been held every year around November 5. Each year, it focuses on a new topic related to Romani and its promotion, such as the standardization and codification of the language, its place within the Indo-Aryan family, Romani literature, and others. Other events and activities held to celebrate World Day of Romani Language include seminars, book presentations, contests and competitions, and more.

World Day of Romani Language is one of several international holidays celebrated by the Roma around the world. Others include International Day of the Roma (April 8) and Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (August 2).