Alice’s Book Club – SUMMER session of 2026

 The complete briefing will be available very soon. Thank you!

August 31, 2026: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day

Each year, August 31^st shines a special spotlight on Romanian culture, as it marks the Romanian Language Day – occasion which offers Romanians (in the country and around the world) a new opportunity to honor their linguistic root, while they illustrate the richness and the importance of their mother tongue.

At this point of my exposé, it is important to emphasize that Romania holds a unique cultural and historical identity, deeply intertwined with its language as this (the official language of the country) is a profound symbol of national unity and heritage.

For many Romanians, the maternal language represents also a strong connection with their ancestors, reflecting long centuries of tradition and resilience, preserving the collective memory, and acting at the same time as a vessel of cultural expression, literature and folklore. The significance of the Romanian language extends way beyond communication…it embodies the spirit and the continuity of the Romanian people throughout history and into the present days.

For many Romanians, the Romanian Language Day becomes more than just a holiday;

it is an annual testament of the resilience and vibrancy of one of Europe’s oldest & distinctive Romance tongues.

La  mulţi ani tuturor vorbitorilor de limbă română!

Omagiu Limbii Române – simbol al identității și demnității noastre, patrimoniu spiritual care ne unește din generație în generație.

Limba română este puntea dintre trecut și viitor, dintre oameni și comunități, dintre cei de aici și românii de pretutindeni.

Este comoara ce poartă în ea istorie, cultură și sperață.

”Începând din anul 2011, în ultima zi a lui Gustar, sărbătorim Ziua Limbii Române, una dintre cele 24 de limbi oficiale ale Uniunii Europene. Este o zi în care nu sărbătorim doar un mijloc de comunicare, ci identitatea, memoria și sufletul unui popor.

Cântată de poeți din vremuri diferite, limba română a străbătut istoria cu demnitate, purtând în ea dorul, doina, rugăciunea, cântecul, bucuriile și durerile noastre.

Nichita Stănescu o numea ’patria mea’, Emil Cioran spunea că ’nu locuiești într-o țară, ci într-o limbă’, iar Mihai Eminescu îi vedea bogăția ca pe o ’adevărată împărăție’. Grigore Vieru mergea și mai departe, spunând că întreaga natură a ostenit la zidirea ei.

Lucian Blaga, îndrăgostit de puterea creatoare a cuvântului românesc, ne-a lăsat o metaforă care spune aproape totul: ’limba este întâiul mare poem al unui popor.’

Și poate că acesta este marele nostru privilegiu: să rostim în fiecare zi un poem milenar, moștenit de la cei de dinaintea noastră. Avem datoria să-l păstrăm viu pentru cei ce vor veni. Cât de simplu și cât de adânc poate fi spus un adevăr: limba ne leagă de cei care au fost, ne definește pe cei care suntem și ne încredințează o moștenire pe care trebuie să o ducem mai departe.”

● Historic background info (extracts):

Romanian Language is mother tongue of around 30 million individuals, taught as a foreign language in universities, in 45 countries.

Ø  Romanian Language Day is “celebrated nationally on August 31, starting from the year 2013 when the law establishing this holiday was enacted. The programs and cultural-educational events, with evocative or scientific characteristics, dedicated to this day emphasize the importance of the Romanian language not only as a means of communication but also as a repository of history, culture, and national identity”.

     (Source: Business Reviews News)

Ø  Romanian Language Day (Romanian: “Ziua Limbii Române”) is celebrated annually on August 31 to honor the Romanian language, its culture and heritage. It was first officially proposed in Romania in 2011, and the law establishing it was promulgated in 2013.

     The holiday celebrates Romanian as a Romance language, related to French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

      Romanian Language Day (each year, on August 31) is marked with public and cultural events, promotes linguistic heritage and fosters international recognition of the Romanian language and culture.

      Extra officially, Romanian communities worldwide celebrate the holiday to maintain cultural ties, preserve national identity through language, and engage diaspora population in literary and educational projects.  The holiday encourages linguistic pride and promotes intergenerational connection through shared cultural practices.

      (Source: Agerpress)

● My previous greetings on the same theme: ROMANIAN LANGUAGE Day – 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Traditional Romanian embroidery class (part 3 of 3)

~ A multifaceted event: an educational activity of our Circle, with an ART emphasis ~

ART oriented activity – MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members); part 3 of 3

Dear friends of our Circle,

I’m glad to share with you that on Thursday (August 27’26) I managed to organize the third part (which is also the last) of our hands-on workshop, dedicated to the ancient art of the traditional Romanian embroidery (especially customized for the traditional Romanian blouse), craft being taught by artisan Lucreția Cioată. 

As I’ve mentioned before in several different circumstances, for me it was truly enjoyable and rewarding in many ways to witness the genuine enthusiasm, the engagement and the many thoughtful questions posed by participants along the way (during the 3 sessions of our seminar)! 
The experience in itself allowed us to explore the rich history, the ancient artistry and the cultural significance of the Romanian embroidery, while learning lots of techniques that our ancestors used for centuries, before us. In many ways it felt like travelling back in time! Definitively, something rare, authentic and precious!  

From me, once again, many thanks to all for answering my call and especially to Ms. Lucreția for sharing with all of us her extensive background in this field!
Without any doubt, the Romanian embroidery (perceived as “manual art”) remains a living testament to cultural resilience, illustrating how art, tradition and symbolism could harmoniously intertwine in order to preserve and celebrate the essence of our people and their stories across generations.

Wrapping up my briefing on this, I would like to say that this very specific Romanian traditional embroidery shouldn’t be necessarily perceived as something nostalgic, but rather as an informed action in response to the homogenizing pressure of consumerism because it cultivates literacy, sustainability and human creativity in an era of mechanized and impersonal production.

In a society driven by speed, instant gratification and visual overstimulation, the traditional Romanian embroidery represents slowness, intention and presence.

This is was a MEMBERS ONLY EVENT (Circle’s friends = Circle’s members).

NOTES:

● For your convenience, here is the related social media posting.

● To facilitate additional reference, here are the previous reviews of our series – part 1 of 3 & part 2 of 3. 

Philosophers’ Café with ALICE & Friends: Summer 2026

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!